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.
Not to be missed!
at The Ian Potter Museum of Art
University of Melbourne
until 23 February 2014
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Attributed to Makani Wilingarr
Ngarra minytji (Ngarra ceremony design) 1937
natural pigments of bark, 127 x 64.2 cm
The Donald Thomson Collection, the University of Melbourne and Museum Victoria
© Courtesy Jimmy Burinyila, Ramingining
For more, see and read New lines of flight by Henry Skerritt (Art Guide Australia).
photo : Viki Petherbridge
detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something ...
LOGOS/HA HA
Attributed to Makani Wilingarr 
