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 March 2016

On the Beach : Australian tide disciplined (3)

              
      Canute the Conservator

       Canute the King,
      Patron of the Conserved Thing,
            On a Tour of Royal Holdings
      Glanced within his Golden Mouldings.
         
      Seeing there some canvas bare,
            some cracked, some ripped, some rotten,
      Commanded all “Death Must Be Stalled
            Or Else Our Time Forgotten.”
         
      To stop the Rot
            He cast his Lot
      ‘Gainst Light and Breath and Dust:

       To Paintings, first, he offered Night,
            bid “Fix your Eyes against the Light.”
      To Viewers next he set this Hex
            “Go Cease your Fogging Blight.”
      and last, not least, to Dust released
            one word, just this:
                                                “Desist”
     

FIAPCE   -1995-  
    click image to enlarge  

From the Collection of Holes, here's a scroll worthy of any conservator's regard. What a ripper! As well as the holes and other breakthroughs, note also the formal frame-incorporated hanging supports. Familiar?
             

collection : FIAPCE   
 detail
 A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
 someone looks at something...

 LOGOS/HA HA