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 June 2011

Internationale Universelle Generale View

.
Another opening, another show. And another card to tell the tale.

The previous postcard was from the first Venice Biennale, 1895.

This time it will be Paris and the Exposition Universelle of 1900.

As always, who's in and who's out constructs the larger exposé, whether Esposizione Internationale (Venice) or Exposition Universelle (Paris). Below are the National Pavilions that made the cut for Paris 1900.

bLOGOS/HA HA regards these with a certain lost-in-space curiosity, especially at this time when project Australia has just announced there is to be a new\different|other/Australia(n) projection-space for the next Venice Biennale.

Maybe, in line with Australia's current immigration self-portrait, the next Australian Pavilion for the Venice Biennale could be "sited offshore" at either Christmas Island or Nauru (Howard Government; endorsed by present Abbott Opposition) or at Timor-Leste, New Guinea or Malaysia (Gillard Government).

1900_Expo_National Pavilions_<span class=
detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something ...

LOGOS/HA HA

At bLOGOS/HA HA we've long appreciated the over-ma(r)king palimpsestry of Arnulf Rainer. Below is the cover of a recent book that surveys Rainer's practice, epitomised here by a handmade bloodcolour markover & signature.



With that in mind, here is the earlier mentioned 1900 postcard, a Vue Generale of the Exposition Universelle, overmarked with a shitearthcolour brushstroke & signature (R. Appert).




click image to enlarge
On the other side the same fine pen addresses all this to
Mademoiselle Betsy Castreman
76 rue des Brasseurs
à Mamur
Belgique
detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something ...

LOGOS/HA HA