Social consciousness in the work of Beckmann and Kentridge : an artist's view

Abstract

This study is about how a social consciousness is made visible in the paintings and drawings of two artists who have in common an urge to examine the human condition in the context of traumatic social and political circumstances. Their prime concern is with the eternal complexities between the individual and society. Pessimism, hope, anger, frustration and guilt reside in their images. This thesis explores how their social consciousness is expressed through the unique pictorial devices that each creates. It examines their biographies and the social and political milieu influencing their work; it explores their perceptions through the examination of the particular themes and devices that they developed as visual language. These influences lead to the examination of my own artistic practice, exploring the connection between my social consciousness and my pictorial language.

Date of Award	2006
Original language	English