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.


17 December 2013

Pitcha Makin Fellaz : Our first time - go easy

     
Two groups of artists, unconnected, with so much in common.

Der Blaue Reiter and Pitcha Makin Fellaz.

Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider) was a group of artists from the Neue Künstlervereinigung München in Munich, Germany. The group was founded by a number of Russian emigrants, including Wassily Kandinsky, Alexej von Jawlensky, Marianne von Werefkin, and native German artists, such as Franz Marc, August Macke and Gabriele Münter. Der Blaue Reiter was a movement lasting from 1911 to 1914, fundamental to Expressionism, along with Die Brücke which was founded in 1905.

Cover of Der Blaue Reiter almanac, c.1912

Wassily Kandinsky, Franz Marc, August Macke, Alexej von Jawlensky, Marianne von Werefkin, Gabriele Münter, Lyonel Feininger, Albert Bloch and others formed the group in response to the rejection of Kandinsky's painting Last Judgement from an exhibition. Der Blaue Reiter lacked an artistic manifesto, but it was centered around Kandinsky and Marc. Paul Klee was also involved.

- Wikipedia 


Members of „Der Blaue Reiter” : left to right : Maria and Franz Marc, Bernhard Koehler, Vasily Kandinsky (seated), Heinrich Campendonk, and Thomas von Hartmann. Munich, ca. 1911–12

In 1913, Franz Marc painted Tower of Blue Horses (Turm der blauen Pferde). The study, below. 


       
In 2013, one hundred years later, the Ballarat artist collective Pitcha Makin Fellaz, similarly stung by rejection from an exhibition, painted this in response : 'We know where you live'.
       


PW tells the story : "The horse painting came about as a reaction to being knocked back from entering an Indigenous artshow because they work as a group. They were a bit pissed off, and among a variety of responses the one that fired them up was the suggestion that they “send ‘em a horses head…”. So the next show that came up was the Daylesford Art Prize and the Horse was painted specially. It won. No longer so pissed off."

PW : "The group shares credits for all pics…we have a journal that records the individual contributors and their specific contribution but all proceeds from sales(if) etc are shared equally." 

More PMF here :
The Pitcha Makin Fellaz: making friends while making art
Lily Partland / ABC Ballarat
20 September, 2013
click image to enlarge  

Members of „Pitcha Makin Fellaz” : left to right : William Blackall, Ted Laxton, Peter Shane-Royumah, Myles Walsh, Adrian Rigney, Thomas Marks, and Joe Lee. Ballarat, 2013

Pitcha Makin Fellaz first exhibition opens today at B1 Gallery - 14 Camp Street, Ballarat, 11-4 daily until 22 December.


    
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