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.


01 December 2010

freehand (#8: How to draw...

.

How to draw a blank

or
How a vision of Australia emerged from the depths of war




What a thrill it was recently to see The Age headline Baillieu draws a blank. Ted Baillieu: metaphysician, leader of the Victorian Liberal Party, and Shadow Minister for the Arts.

( Read the article )

What a challenge and what an achievement it seemed to those of us with a simple mind. How did Baillieu do that? Why did he do that? Where can we see this drawing? this blank? this blank drawing?

freehand: recent Australian drawing
Heide Museum of Modern Art

25 November 2010 - 6 March 2011

Since then we have drawn in his footsteps, we have traced but the mere report of this achievement...

and on Saturday the people of Victoria elected him to govern.


detail

A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/

someone looks at something ...


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