Art in State of Grace, Hope, Siege (1988)

Art in a State of Grace, Art in a State of Hope, and Art in a State of Siege is a trilogy of silkscreen prints made in 1988. They comprise Kentridge’s opening manifesto as a visual artist, marking his creative starting point. Art in a State of Grace is an allegory for death by comfortable, unambitious art; Art in a State of Hope expresses a sense of blind faith in the influence of art; and Art in a State of Siege reveals the vacuity of the so-called “power of art.” Overt in their attention to the political, these works reflect the artist’s interest in theater along with other elements of his mature artistic language. The brown paper is similar to the material Kentridge had previously used to design theater posters. The slogans evoke political movements in South Africa and Russia, as well as the cultures these movements engendered.