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.


18 May 2013

Education and its values : regarding what is what ] and what is not (

         
At Sotheby's New York more record prices for something to look at...

"The high end of the market is quite deep," said Tobias Meyer, head of Sotheby’s contemporary art department worldwide and the event auctioneer, speaking of the number of bidders. "People are very educated; they know what is what."
               

BARNETT NEWMAN
Onement VI, 1953
$43,845,000

detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/  
someone looks at something ...
 
LOGOS/HA HA
      

GERHARD RICHTER
Domplatz, Mailand, 1968
$37,125,000
       
detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something ...
 
LOGOS/HA HA
 

At Christie's New York more record prices for something to look at...

"It was the biggest art auction in history", said Marc Porter, chairman of Christie’s Americas.  
             
 
JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT
Dustheads, 1982
$48,843,750

Pre-Lot Text
Property of a Distinguished Collector
       
detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something ...
 
LOGOS/HA HA
      

JACKSON POLLOCK
Number 19, 1948
$58,363,750
            
detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something ...
 
LOGOS/HA HA


At Theatre of the Actors of Regard free entry for something to look at...
           

] The PainTer (
pre-auction performance by White Art Cult 
FREE ENTRY
    
detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something ...
 
LOGOS/HA HA