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.


18 October 2013

Reinventing the Wheel : Here comes the Grinder Man, singing :

     
Sharpen your wits!
Sharpen your wits!

To see the wheel turning was very soothing, very comforting, a sort of opening of avenues on other things than material life of every day. I liked the idea of having a bicycle wheel in my studio. I enjoyed looking at it just as I enjoy looking at the flames dancing in a fireplace. It was like having a fireplace in my studio, the movement of the wheel reminded me of the movement of the flames.

- Marcel Duchamp : Arturo Schwartz, The Complete works of Marcel Duchamp, London: Thames and Hudson, 1969, p.442
    
Reinventing the Wheel: the Readymade Century
     
Monash University Museum of Art
Caulfield campus
3 October – 14 December 2013
Presented in association with the Melbourne Festival
         
For those who would like to go into this business, we outline the details. Two ordinary strips of iron, about 1″ wide and 1/8″ thick, are drilled to accommodate three bolts and a bicycle hub axle. By means of a bolt, the iron strips are fastened together at one end, and the strips spread by hand; a small piece of iron pipe is then dropped down close to the bend, and the strips are again squeezed together, first by hand and later with the vise. This forms a clamp for the bottom of the bicycle frame. The top cross-bar is properly located, and the iron bent around it in a similar way.

The grindstone is now fitted to a bicycle wheel hub (the flange being first cut off); a pully wheel is attached and, except for the drive, the job is complete. The simplest drive is an ordinary wooden baby-buggy wheel, from which the rubber tire and spokes have been removed. This is attached to the spokes of the rear wheel by small brass lugs, as shown. The brass lugs are made in pairs; six pairs will be enough for mounting the wooden wheel. They measure 3/4″ x 1-1/2″ for those that are to be attached to the rim and 3/4″ square for those to be used as clips. These are drilled to take 8-32 bolts in a slip fit; the holes being drilled through one clip and lug at the same time. Two small holes are also drilled in the lug, and the lug is then mortised into the rim and screwed fast to it. 

With thanks to MODERN MECHANIX, March 1936
          

  reconstruction tableau above by Theatre of the Actors of Regard    

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