bLOGOS/HA HA: Helen Johnson - Failing Up: On Painting and Discursive Stupidity | Psssssssssssssssssssst : John de Silentio

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.

15 July 2014

Helen Johnson - Failing Up: On Painting and Discursive Stupidity | Psssssssssssssssssssst : John de Silentio

This seems a very appropriate moment to recall the artlife of John de Silentio aka John Barbour (1954-2011).

First, some images of John's 1988 exhibition at 200 Gertrude Street, staged at the same venue as tonight's lecture by Helen Johnson. This will be the ninth in the Contemporary Art Lecture Series presented by Gertrude Contemporary & Discipline.

And here's his study for 'The Look of Love',
plus a few others gifted moments from his life of
Failing Up: On Painting and Discursive Stupidity.