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.


14 September 2009

ICONOLOGOS/HA HA

.
bL went to Castlemaine yesterday for lunch and a catch-up with KF prior to this Thursday's opening of the group show someone looking at something... at West Space. At the next table members of Punctum ; people on the street; cafes spilling out. All in all, Castlemaine seemed very buzzy.

At a secondhand book shop, bought another cover for my small Comic Depictions of Art/Artists sub-heap.

2009.09_popeye portrait cover
detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/ someone looks at something . . .

LOGOS/HA HA
Have been interested for yonks in the mythoLOGOS/HA HA of the one-eyed strongman Popeye. (Wikipedia on Popeye here )


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

LOGOS/HA HA
In particular, Popeye's 1933 self-portrait song "I Yam What I Yam" has exerted a special fascination.

I Yam What I Yam
(Lyrics from the 1980 soundtrack album of Popeye.)

[spoken]
You don't have to be no fish to tell when you're flounderin'
What am I? Some kind of barnacles on the dinghy of life?
I ain't no doctors but I knows when I'm losin' me patiensk
What am I? Some kind of judge, or a lawyers?
Aw, maybe not; but I knows what laws suits me
So what am I? I ain't no physciscisk, but I knows what matters
What am I? I'm Popeye, the sailor

[sung]
And I yam what I yam what I yam and I yam what I yam and that's all that I yam 'cause I yam what I yam

And I gots a lot of muskle and I only gots one eye
And I never hurts nobodys and I'll never tell a lie
Tops to me bottoms and me bottoms to me top
And that's the way it is 'till the day that I drop
What am I?
I yam what I yam!

I yam what I yam what I yam what I yam what I yam

I can open up an ockean I can take a lot of sail
I can lose a lot of waters and I'll never have to bail
I can pushk up Madagascar grab a whale by the tail
What am I?
What am I?
I yam what I yam!

I'm Popeye, the sailor
I'm Popeye, the sailor
I'm Popeye, the sailor
I yam what I yam and that's all that I yam
I yam what I yam what I yam what I yam
I'm Popeye the sailor man!

With a Judeo-Christian upbringing, to my ear Popeye's self-declaration has long echoed of another : Yahweh / YHWH

I Am that I Am (Hebrew: אהיה אשר אהיה‎, pronounced Ehyeh asher ehyeh [ʔehˈje ʔaˈʃer ʔehˈje]) is a common English translation (King James Bible and others) of the response God used in the Bible when Moses asked for His name (Exodus 3:14). It is one of the most famous verses in the Torah. Hayah means "existed" or "was" in Hebrew; "ehyeh" is the first person singular imperfect form. Ehyeh asher ehyeh is generally interpreted to mean I am that I am, though it more literally translates as "I-shall-be that I-shall-be." (Wikipedia : more here )
The foundling Swee' Pea appears to view 0r interpret Popeye through the philosophical filter You Am What You Eat.

I'm Popeye the sailor man!
I'm Popeye the sailor man!
I'm strong to the finich,
'Cause I eats me spinach.
I'm Popeye the sailor man.

When young we were told " If you don't/eat your greens you'll be...

2009.09.14__ BABY+Spinach_RGB_CROPPED_423h
detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/ someone looks at something . . .

LOGOS/HA HA