<commit_before>---
layout: post
title: It's amazing, the way that things change & <NAME>ridge
date: 2016-02-04
author: <NAME>
meta: It's amazing the way things change. I, <NAME>, discuss myself & the first time I saw a William Kentridge exhibit
categories:
- art
- thoughts
permalink: /things-change-william-kentridge/
featured_image: /assets/things-change/man.jpg
---

Remembering the first time I saw [William Kentridge](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Kentridge): it was in Chicago & I drove down from Madison with my girlfriend. I was 21 maybe (I'm 35 now) & I threw a bit of a temper tantrum while trying to find a place to park.
{: .first-paragraph }

I remember seeing my girlfriend's face when I got out of the car. She had big green eyes that were looking at me so empathically. "I'm going to dump you in a few months" I could imagine her thinking. It's not that I didn't have good qualities back then but all there was to me was ... well, me. But, this is a story of the moment that I think that (selfishness) started changed for me. This was the first time I was going to see artwork by <NAME>.

> She had big eyes that were looking at me so empathically. "I'm going to dump you in a few months" I could imagine her thinking.

The William Kentridge Exhibit was at the [MCA](//mcachicago.org/Home) & it was during the winter. I remember it being cold & me feeling grumpy, even after my car was parked. I drove a long way get here (I thought to myself). I am so busy & have semester finals & I don't have time for this (I thought to myself). I think that even then my hair was thinning. I can remember, or at least imagine, tufts of blond hair on top of my intense looking head blowing in the wind as my girlfriend & I walked up the steps to the museum. My hair & her planning their escape. My hair: "I'm going to slowly & politely leave out the back". My girlfriend: "Ah, the fade away. Me too!".

We all (my hair, my girlfriend & me) entered the museum & got to the exhibit which was a series of installation videos & charcoal sketches that orchastrated the videos.

<figure class="figure figure--full">
<iframe style="height: auto; min-height: 315px; width: 100%;" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OmvK7A84dlk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
	<figcaption class="figure__caption">
		<p><NAME>: Automatic Writing</p>
	</figcaption>
</figure>

As I was watching the movies which dealt with time & social issues in South Africa during that time I felt my intense heart getting soft. My girlfriend looked at me, tears welling in my eyes, this is what I remember her liking about me - my ability to be there, in a moment. Grabbing her hand & we walked around the museum together, every Kentridge Piece bringing me closer to a new part of myself. I felt myself being curious about the world which Kentridge had created. His narrative extended to wondering about my girlfriend’s reality & her feelings. I'd been selfish. We'd drove down from Madison together & she was taking the same semester finals as me at the same college.

<figure class="figure figure--full">
{% include media/picture.html pictureClass="picture__secondary" imageSM="/assets/things-change/william-kentridge.jpg" imageTitle="Drawing by <NAME>: Anything Is Possible" %}
	<figcaption class="figure__caption">
		<p>Drawing by <NAME>: Anything Is Possible</p>
	</figcaption>
</figure>

It was truly a glorious moment.

We went back to Madison & had our finals. I went to Europe for the holiday & Deirdre (what we'll call my ex girlfriend) left me for someone while I was away. I remember talking to her on my Nokia cell phone on a beach in Albania. There were locals literally fishing with dynamite in the not so distant background. "What?!" I exclaimed to the sound of dynamite exploding in the background; fish & fish guts going every which way in the near sea.

Years later, I did a series of work - fully embracing that eye opening situation & the new door to life that was accessed after seeing William Kentridge’s work.
<commit_msg>Update to the things change piece<commit_after>---
layout: post
title: It's amazing, the way that things change & William Kentridge
date: 2016-02-04
author: <NAME>
meta: It's amazing the way things change. I, <NAME>, discuss myself & the first time I saw a William Kentridge exhibit
categories:
- art
- thoughts
permalink: /things-change-william-kentridge/
featured_image: /assets/things-change/man.jpg
---

Remembering the first time I saw [William Kentridge](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Kentridge): it was in Chicago & I drove down from Madison with my girlfriend. I was around 21 (I'm 35 now). I threw a temper tantrum while trying to find a place to park in the magnificent mile area.
{: .first-paragraph }

I remember seeing my girlfriend's face when I got out of the car. She had big green eyes that were looking at me so empathically. "I'm going to dump you in a few months" I could imagine her thinking. It's not that I didn't have good qualities back then but all there was to me was ... well, me. _I could be selfish_. But, this is a story of a moment where my selfishness began to change. This was the first time I was going to see artwork by William Kentridge.

> She had big eyes that were looking at me so empathically. "I'm going to dump you in a few months" I could imagine her thinking.

The William Kentridge Exhibit was at the [MCA](//mcachicago.org/Home) & it was during the winter. I remember it being cold & me feeling grumpy, even after my car was parked. I drove a long way get here (I thought to myself). I am so busy & have semester finals & I don't have time for this (I thought to myself). I think that even then my hair was thinning. I can remember, or at least imagine, tufts of blond hair on top of my intense looking head blowing in the wind as my girlfriend & I walked up the steps to the museum. My hair & her planning their escape. My hair: "I'm going to slowly & politely leave out the back". My girlfriend: "Ah, the fade away. Me too!".

We all (my hair, my girlfriend & me) entered the museum & got to the exhibit which was a series of installation videos & charcoal sketches that orchastrated the videos.

<figure class="figure figure--full">
<iframe style="height: auto; min-height: 315px; width: 100%;" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OmvK7A84dlk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
	<figcaption class="figure__caption">
		<p><NAME>: Automatic Writing</p>
	</figcaption>
</figure>

As I was watching the movies which dealt with time & social issues in South Africa during that time I felt my intense heart getting soft. My girlfriend looked at me, tears welling in my eyes, this is what I remember her liking about me - my ability to be there, in a moment. Grabbing her hand & we walked around the museum together, every Kentridge Piece bringing me closer to a new part of myself. I felt myself being curious about the world which Kentridge had created. His narrative extended to wondering about my girlfriend’s reality & her feelings. I'd been selfish earlier that day. We'd drove down from Madison together & she was taking the same semester finals as me at the same college.

<figure class="figure figure--full">
{% include media/picture.html pictureClass="picture__secondary" imageSM="/assets/things-change/william-kentridge.jpg" imageTitle="Drawing by <NAME>: Anything Is Possible" %}
	<figcaption class="figure__caption">
		<p>Drawing by <NAME>: Anything Is Possible</p>
	</figcaption>
</figure>

It was truly a glorious moment.

We went back to Madison & had our finals. I went to Europe for the holiday & Deirdre (what we'll call my ex girlfriend) left me for someone while I was away. I remember talking to her on my Nokia cell phone on a beach in rural Albania. There were locals literally fishing with dynamite in the not so distant background. "What?!" I exclaimed as she spoke here good-byes to the sound of dynamite exploding in the background; fish & fish guts going every which way in the near sea.

Years later, I did a series of work - fully embracing that eye opening situation & the new door to life that was accessed after seeing William Kentridge’s work.

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