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.


26 April 2012

MUSEUM BANS MUSES

.
Still not a peep out of the NGV Law Makers.

We know that NGV personnel have been pouring over these free pencil movement posts in recent days.

We know also that individuals are now going to the Fred Williams exhibition to sketch and make notes as a protest against the NGV prohibitions around this show.

There's even word of a flash mob rehearsing their choreography for weekend performances of the fpm Rebel Yell. (Would love to be there for that.)

Many messages of support. This one comes from a group of young German pencilists. They've reworked an old Johann Faber blotter advertisement to our present purpose : to end (again) the NGV anti-photo anti-sketching anti note-making regulations.

2012.04_fpm_updated Johann Faber blotter from German fpm

Appropriately, the fpm standard-bearer pencil here is an "Apollo".

Apollo, son of Zeus and Leto, twin to the chaste huntress Artemis:
...variously recognized as a god of light and the sun, truth and prophecy, healing, plague, music, poetry, and more.

As the patron of Delphi (Pythian Apollo), Apollo was an oracular god—the prophetic deity of the Delphic Oracle. Medicine and healing are associated with Apollo, whether through the god himself or mediated through his son Asclepius, yet Apollo was also seen as a god who could bring ill-health and deadly plague. Amongst the god's custodial charges, Apollo became associated with dominion over colonists, and as the patron defender of herds and flocks. As the leader of the Muses (Apollon Musegetes) and director of their choir, Apollo functioned as the patron god of music and poetry. Hermes created the lyre for him, and the instrument became a common attribute of Apollo. Hymns sung to Apollo were called paeans.

- Wikipedia


Apollo dancing with the Muses, Baldassarre Peruzzi, 1514-23

The nine muses are
Clio (history)
Thalia (comedy),
Erato (love poetry)
Euterpe (song and elegiac poetry)
Polyhymnia (hymns),
Calliope (epic poetry)
Terpsichore (dance)
Urania (astronomy)
Melpomene (tragedy).

Below is the muse Thalia, pictured recently outside the National Gallery of Victoria.

She is outside because the present keepers of this Museum would not let her in.

You can't bring that thing in here, she was told.
No Sketching, No Writing of Poetry,
No Laughing Matter Allowed.

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

LOGOS/HA HA