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William Kentridge
Porter Series: Russie d'Europe
(Man with Bed on Back), 2007
Tapestry weave with embroidery. Warp: polyester.
Weft and embroidery: mohair, acrylic, and polyester.
312.4 x 230.5 cm
Designed by William Kentridge, woven by Marguerite Stephens Weaving Studio
1st artist's proof (of 2)
Private collection, Philadelphia
A shadowy figure carries a bed against the background of a 19th-century map. Is he nomad, refugee, migrant worker, displaced person? Anonymous yet universal, the figure on the move is an enduring part of human history. The migratory subject resonates with the portable nature of the medium—tapestries are easily rolled and carried. Kentridge created the work as part of the "Porter Series," in collaboration with the Stephens Weaving Studio based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Photo at top: Roberto Marossi, Courtesy Lia Rumma Gallery, Milan/Naples
Porter Series: Russie d'Europe (Man with Bed on Back) is one part of the contemporary exhibition, Common Threads: Weaving Stories Across Time. On view in Hostetter Gallery.
Common Threads: Weaving Stories Across Time is supported in part by Amy and David Abrams, The Coby Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Barr Foundation ArtsAmplified Initiative, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Museum receives operating support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, which receives support from the State of Massachusetts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Media Sponsor: WBUR
