David Jones, artist and poet (1895-1974) begins his PREFACE TO THE ANATHEMATA :

'I have made a heap of all that I could find.' (1) So wrote Nennius, or whoever composed the introductory matter to Historia Brittonum. He speaks of an 'inward wound' which was caused by the fear that certain things dear to him 'should be like smoke dissipated'. Further, he says, 'not trusting my own learning, which is none at all, but partly from writings and monuments of the ancient inhabitants of Britain, partly from the annals of the Romans and the chronicles of the sacred fathers, Isidore, Hieronymous, Prosper, Eusebius and from the histories of the Scots and Saxons although our enemies . . . I have lispingly put together this . . . about past transactions, that [this material] might not be trodden under foot'. (2)

(1) The actual words are coacervavi omne quod inveni, and occur in Prologue 2 to the Historia.
(2) Quoted from the translation of Prologue 1. See The Works of Gildas and Nennius, J.A.Giles, London 1841.


04 August 2012

Ripolin Brothers (Melbourne)

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Below is a version of Eugene Vavasseur's 1898 meta-painting, made for Lefranc to advertise Ripolin paint. The scan used here is from a later postcard reproduction


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Yesterday, our Arts correspondent attended Regarding pain/t/hing at Melbourne Museum, part of the four days of lectures and forums accompanying the 2012 Melbourne Art Fair.

Some members of Ripolin Brothers (Melbourne) were also there.

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And, after the scheduled Regard, they performed an impromptu tableau vivant : Painting Eyes on the Void. The title derives from
'In this very breath that we take now lies the secret that all great teachers try to tell us, what one lama refers to as "the precision and openness and intelligence of the present.(1)" The purpose of meditation practice is not enlightenment; it is to pay attention even at unextraordinary times, to be of the present, nothing-but-the-present, to bear this mindfulness of now into each event of ordinary life. To be anywhere else is "to paint eyeballs on chaos (2)".'
Peter Matthiessen, Nine Headed Dragon River
1. Chogyam Trungpa, Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism
2. Dogen Zenji, Shobogenzo


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left to right : Nick Ripolin, Kelly Ripolin, Ash Ripolin, Helen Ripolin, Peter Ripolin (in 1990 Tour de France - Team Ripolin maillot) - photo by Kim Ripolin
     
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