William Kentridge. Drawing for the film "Johannesburg, 2nd Greatest City after Paris," 1989. Charcoal on paper; 37 4/5 x 59 2/5 in. Copyright and courtesy of William Kentridge.
Our new Flash Points topic, Influence, will be launching soon and we’re inviting you to participate!
An artist’s work can be influenced by a myriad of sources — family history, cultural background, social relationships, world events, education…the list is practically endless. As William Kentridge stated, “We approach the outside world very much in terms of what is happening inside us.” His work draws greatly from his own experiences, from his South African culture and family environment, to the theatrical lessons he took early in his career in Paris. To coincide with Art21’s new film, William Kentridge: Anything is Possible, we’ll explore the many types of influence in art.
A few of the questions we’ll focus on include:
- What is the impact of outside influences on an artist’s work?
- How does an artist’s background inform his/her work, and how does our status as a viewer inform our understanding of it?
- What kind of impact do art education programs or mentorships have on an artist?
- How are artists influenced by each other or by other forms of art?
- How do institutions play a role in an artist’s development?
We are eager to hear from a range of perspectives, including those of you who work as artists, arts professionals, students, art educators, funders, organizers, and academics. Propose a Flash Points blog post related to the above topic and have a chance to be featured on this site. Email ideas and pitches to blog [at] art21 [dot] org.