William Kentridge, History of the Main Complaint, 1996
Images of William Kentridge, History of the Main Complaint

- Short A loosely sketched monochromatic drawing shows a building-lined street. Heavily scribbled shadows and a gray sky create a sense of foreboding.
History of the Main Complaint, 1996
35mm film transferred to video
Dimensions variable
Collection Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Gift of Susan and Lewis Manilow, 2001.24
Photo © MCA Chicago

- Short Charcoal drawing of an unconscious man dressed in a suit and tie wearing a respirator.
- Long In this black charcoal drawing, a balding, light-skinned man lies unconscious in a hospital bed. He is visible from the chest up, dressed in a pinstriped suit and striped tie, and wearing a respirator. The man's shoulders are broad; his torso fills most of the image. Medical machines accented with red are partly visible in the background.
History of the Main Complaint, 1996
35mm film transferred to video
Dimensions variable
Collection Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Gift of Susan and Lewis Manilow, 2001.24
Photo © MCA Chicago

- Short In what appears to be a black-and-white illustrated film still, a television or other screened machine shows the words "HISTORY OF THE MAIN COMPLAINT."
History of the Main Complaint, 1996
35mm film transferred to video
Dimensions variable
Collection Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Gift of Susan and Lewis Manilow, 2001.24
Photo © MCA Chicago
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Related content
Collection
- William Kentridge, Portage, 2000
- Short A yellowed dictionary page partly obscured by black paper roughly cut and assembled to depict a man walking, hunched over, and carrying an enormous load on his back
- William Kentridge, Drawing for the film History of the Main Complaint, 1995–96
- Short What appears to be a loosely illustrated cross-section of a skull against a black background is marked with pink "x"s or plus signs in three different locations.