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.


28 April 2014

TAR : Square Theatre in the Round

     
The performance begins as 

we observe

the Uber-Actor look down into the Theatre Square.
     

   
The performance continues as 
this cast of experienced character Under-Actors look back up at the Junior Uber-Actor.

] performance of variable duration (
        

The performance concludes as
the Uber-Actor and the Underlings, 
plus those of us in the Gods and those in the Stalls,
all sing together the Chorus of 'Happy' :

Chorus:
Because I’m happy

Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof
Because I’m happy
Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth
Because I’m happy
Clap along if you know what happiness is to you
Because I’m happy
Clap along if you feel like that’s what you wanna do 

- Pharrell Williams, Happy

 ] Exeunt (
          

Theatre of the Actors of Regard  
detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something ... 

LOGOS/HA HA
   

      

25 April 2014

Of King & Coal

     
If you need to make certain information public  
with minimal scrutiny, standard practice is to release it late on a Friday afternoon. 

Even better would be to release it on the Thursday afternoon before a Friday ANZAC Day long weekend when, as a further distraction, a young Royal Couple and their Royal Babe have the media all in a dizzy tizz. 
Royal tour: Prince George steals the show as support for monarchy rises 
by Nicholas Witchell 
Royal correspondent
BBC : 25 April 2014 
This is exactly when the Abbott Government did choose to announce the details of their Direct Action plan for the environment.

Below, a grid-locked observer looks to future prospects. A Design by Edward McKnight Kauffer, circa 1935, for the Gas Light and Coke Company.
         

courtesy : Theatre of the Actors of Regard  
detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something ... 

LOGOS/HA HA
   
      
Later that same day, yesterday, as his Direct Action media release was sinking in distraction, Prime Minister Abbott addressed the Royal Couple in the Australian Parliament. An extract :
Your great-great-grandfather, the future George V, opened our first Parliament in 1901.

Your great-grandfather as Duke of York opened our first Parliament House in 1927.

Your grandmother, the Queen, opened this building in 1988.

And your father, the Prince of Wales, has been here many, many times.

Many decades, hence, when a currently unknowable Australian Prime Minister welcomes your son, King George VII to this building, that will be a sign of the stability and the continuity in the life of our nation.


- Click here for full address

"Your great-great-grandfather, the future George V, opened our first Parliament in 1901."
      
Great Britain. 1912
KING GEORGE V
Design by Bertram Mackennal*
OVERSTAMPED : THE GAS LIGHT AND COKE COMPY.
*Sir Edgar Bertram Mackennal, KCVO (12 June 1863 – 10 October 1931), usually known as Bertram Mackennal, was an Australian sculptor, most famous for designing the coinage and stamps bearing the likeness of King George V. Signature: "BM".

"Your great-grandfather as Duke of York opened our first Parliament House in 1927."
    

Great Britain. 1937 
KING GEORGE VI
Typography by Eric Gill 
Portrait by Edmund Dulac
OVERSTAMPED : THE GAS LIGHT AND COKE COMPY.

Many decades hence, when a currently unknowable Australian Prime Minister welcomes King George VII as King of Australia, that will be a sign of ...
       
       
detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something ... 

LOGOS/HA HA
   
      
And, many decades hence, when a currently unknowable Australian postage stamp features a portrait of the King of Australia over-stamped with Clive Palmer's Gas Light and Coke Company (sic) that too will be a sign of ...
    
       
detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something ... 

LOGOS/HA HA
   

      

23 April 2014

1. Minister for Science ] Abbott Government ( Regarding : dis|proof of global warming

     
Actually, there is no Minister for Science in the Abbott Government of Australia...

(advertisement)
       
Woodi Ishmael, for Mathieson Chemical Corporation, 1953

 

Anyway, what would most scientists know?! This from last night's 'Lateline' (ABC.TV) : 
           
(click for video and full transcript)
      
EMMA ALBERICI, PRESENTER: One of Tony Abbott's first acts in Government was to appoint Maurice Newman as the head of his Business Advisory Council. Mr Newman is the former Chairman of both the Stock Exchange and the ABC. He's our guest this evening and he joined me earlier in the studio for this exclusive interview. 

Maurice Newman welcome to 'Lateline'.

MAURICE NEWMAN, CHAIRMAN, PM'S BUSINESS ADVISORY COUNCIL: Thanks Emma.

EMMA ALBERICI: Now, Clive Palmer thinks the $1.5 billion worth of money the Government has set aside to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is money better spent on the aged pension. What's your view?

MAURICE NEWMAN: Well, I don't quite know what he means by that. When he says it should be spent on the old age pension, does he mean we should increase the pension, that it should replace other money? I don't quite know what Mr Palmer is talking about frankly.

EMMA ALBERICI: It's no secret that you don't agree that man-made CO2 is causing global warming. Given there is now consensus among 97 per cent or so of climate scientists across the world that the view - around the view that human activity is responsible for climate change, what would it take to convince you?

MAURICE NEWMAN: We know first of all that the survey which came out with the 97 per cent number was flawed in the first place. So we don't pay any attention to that. What we do look at...



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

LOGOS/HA HA
         

       
2. Minister for Regard  ] FIAPCE (

There is a Minister for Regard at FIAPCE, who has issued the following graphic statement in response to the TAR tableau and 'formulation' above.


click image to enlarge    

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

LOGOS/HA HA
   

      

22 April 2014

AXION PLAN : AXE THE TAX , AXE DIRECT ACTION etc

     
This an image of Break (1984), in the collection of Parliament House, Canberra, one of many painted depictions by Mandy Martin from around that time, of massive industrial forms (Yallourn Power Station; Port Kembla, Outer Harbour; E.Z. Works) amid the natural environment.
         

     
When Martin's Red Ochre Cove (1988) was chosen as the image of influence for the Main Committee Room of the Australian Parliament, Canberra, it seemed to this regarder a curious choice.



Now, as the Abbott government prepares to remove the so-called carbon tax, and today as the massive coal miner Clive Palmer declares his PUP will vote in the Senate against the Abbott Government's 'Direct Action' plan (the so-called carbon reduction alternative), that image in that place appears timely right.

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

LOGOS/HA HA
   

      

20 April 2014

Easter Sunday


After The Lepidopters : A Space Opera, we received correspondence about certain other such activities. 

Monsieur d'Opter, an optician from St. Armand-Montrond, has sent us these images of the Lycée Lepidopters in rehersal for their annual spring parade, The Summoning.


click image to enlarge 
As winter looses its chill hold and the buds of spring again begin to swell, the people of this small French town - female students, men in dresses with drums and horns, the mayor and the notary - parade through the district with their LYCÉE PAPILLON banner.
           

      
Their purpose, to summon the eye-winged from their catacombs : Return to the light, Grant us new sight, Bring to all your every delight.

Miranda :
O, wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is!
O brave new world,
That has such people in't!

Prospero :
'Tis new to thee.

The Tempest : Act 5, Scene 1
William Shakespeare

          
Monsieur Le P. d'Opter    
with nœud papillon    
Patron - Lycée Lepidopters    
 

   
The participants wear their traditional garb. At the throat of each un nœud papillon : for the young women, slim open-winged black; for the men, in pink, grand flouncy red; for the mayor and notary, appropriate, reserved.
     

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

LOGOS/HA HA