Artwork Review

William Kentridge, Walking Man (2000). Linocut on Canvas (99”x40”)

Kentridge’s large achromatic linocut depicts a (male?) figure with the head of a leafless tree walking (or perhaps stomping) across a very low horizon line. There is some sort of small human-made construction (exemplified by a electricity tower) placed in the bottom left of the composition and located on the horizon line. It is unclear what this construction might be- is it a town? Do people live here? The subject figure, or Walking Man is mostly black in value and creates the effect of a silhouette against the higher key sky. His diagonally leaning form create a strong compositional line that starts at the bottom left and extends to the top right. In the place of his head are a upward moving cluster of bare branches. Is he transforming and taking root? Is he some sort of legend? Action and design elements seem to be framed into space via a black border giving the piece a closed compositional feeling. The large expanse of the sky is created through variously spaced and sized horizontal lines- their proximity to each other creates some tonal effects, but clearly stay graphic. As the horizontal sky lines move up closer to the branches, they change direction and begin to frame in the branches. Are these leaves? The lines seem to suggest foliage, but compared to the stark black branches don’t seem to resolve into anything more than an eerie suggestion of chaotic movement. This piece is unified by continuation and repetition. The piece develops an interesting spatial tension, as the piece can be read in exaggerated perspective with the human-made construction in the distance or the feeling that it is about to be crushed under the boot of the Walking Man. I am leaning towards the exaggerated perspective read, because the figure doesn’t seem to have any signs of violence. So perhaps this distance is to emphasize a remoteness, or removal from society? I can’t help thinking that the content is related to the dichotomy of walking and taking root. In this context the endlessly walking figure must keep moving and I can’t help but to feel empathy for the effort.

The large vertical format of the piece is unusually tall, and suggests human proportions. Our reflections can also be seen in the protective Plexiglas frame, though I think this unintentional and simple the result of protecting and archiving the work. Placed in a narrow staircase the work can be seen from below and above, but is usually seen while walking up and down the stairs. Contextually this seems like an interesting location as the viewers participate in the witnessed action of the artwork.

The most unresolved element in the piece are the white lines on the interior of the Walking Man form. The lines seem to want to suggest a suit, or clothing, but fail to convince and instead become an abstract jumble of lines and dashes. They remind me of tailor’s marks on fabric. Perhaps meant to move the viewer’s eye to the figure, I can’t help but wish that these marks had been handled in a different way.