bLOGOS/HA HA: Melbourne Black

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.

21 November 2013

Melbourne Black

Melbourne was its own self-regarding scene

last night for the official opening of

Melbourne Black.

This exhibition observes the centenary of Kazimir Malevich's Black Square, Black Circle and Black Cross.

It links Moscow 1913 to Melbourne 2013 with four groupings of black/paint/art/ist/Melbourne :

Late 1960s - early 70s

Ian Burn / Mel Ramsden /

Paul Partos /Dale Hickey / Peter Booth /
Pinacotheca gallery

1970s - 1980s

John Nixon / Peter Tyndall / Brett Colquhoun /
Art Projects gallery

1980s - present

Raafat Ishak / Tom Nicholson / Marco Fusinato /

Silvana Mangano & Gabriella Mangano /
BLACK BATS (MELB) /Anna Schwartz Gallery /
Sutton Gallery

Publications

Black Inc / Discipline

Mel Ramsden / Art & Language, Secret Painting,1967-68

The text reads : The content of this painting is invisible: the character and dimension of the content are to be kept permanently secret, known only to the artist.

The content of this painting is invisible; the character and dimension of the content are to be kept permanently secret, known only to the artist. - See more at: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/review/noise-in-the-void/story-fn9n8gph-1226711380051#sthash.YsGKTjwd.dpuf