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.


19 December 2015

TAR presents Wake In Fright

       

Arts funding
Opinion

The government's cultural barbarism and plunder of the arts, continued


That's the headline to today's Van Badham article in The Guardian. 

Behind the scene, same as it ever was, same as it ever was



 'Look Back In Anger' : TAR sub-performance at rear 
         
 detail
 A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
 someone looks at something...

 LOGOS/HA HA 
     
      
Van Badham writes :

"... So what remains is the ideological symbolism of what Turnbull’s government is doing to the arts; rather than heed Henri Grégoire’s revolutionary advice to marry its reputation to an area of social activity that celebrates – dare I say it – “innovation”, the Liberals are pursuing a bloody divorce.
Theirs is a state uninterested in ornamenting itself with any reputation for creativity or diversity – in fact..."

 'I Like America and America Likes Me'
 grand tableau by ACT Theatre of the Actors of Regard 
 detail
 A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
 someone looks at something...

 LOGOS/HA HA 
     
      
"A state that would rather give Australian money to Hollywood fantasy rather than its own local film industry is one that does not want anyone to look at its own society too closely.” Photo : Mike Bowers for The Guardian
      
 detail
 A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
 someone looks at something...

 LOGOS/HA HA