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.


21 May 2016

Rod Moss : Origin of the New Poetics



Rod Moss

Origin of the New Poetics

    

Anna Pappas Gallery
13 May - 18 June 2016

It was a great pleasure last weekend to attend the latest exhibition by Rod Moss and, on Saturday, to listen to him 'In Conversation' with Rex Butler.

 (left) Rex Butler and                                (right) Rod Moss and
 "Families at Uleralkwe"                        "Considering The Birds"
    
From the discussion came even more to delight in, such as the link between the already wonderful 
The Gift of Butterflies and Gustave Courbet's 1854 La rencontre, ou "Bonjour Monsieur Courbet" (The Meeting or "Bonjour, Monsieur Courbet").
       

 Rod Moss, The Gift of Butterflies, 2015

 "Rod Moss has lived in the Aboriginal community, Whitegate on the eastern fringes of Alice Springs, for almost three decades, forging close ties with the community. Breaking the barriers of what Moss considers “a politically correct, insulating silence” within the Australian art scene, Origin of the New Poetics depicts the people of Whitegate in extraordinarily personal, vulnerable and private moments.

Moss’ narrative paintings show resolute scenes in which the impact of alcohol and violence are unflinchingly depicted, contrasted with tender moments showing cultural milestones and family rituals. Appropriating compositions from the Old Masters and religious paintings, his artworks are familiar yet foreign, romantic yet confronting.

This is Moss’ fourth solo exhibition with Anna Pappas Gallery. Moss was awarded the Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Non-fiction in 2011 for his first memoir The Hard Light of Day. Moss’s second memoir, One Thousand Cuts: Life and Art in Central Australia was launched in conjunction with a retrospective exhibition at Anna Pappas Gallery in 2013"

Click here for more exhibition images
Click here to view flip-book catalogue     


 Rod Moss, Origin of the New Poetics, 2015
            

 Rod Moss, August We Meet Here To Talk About Water, 2014
       
After the conversation with Rex, Rod talked further about the Whitegate community. In 2014 the NT government turned their water off - read here and here and here and here - hence the title of this 2014 work, 'August We Meet Here To Talk About Water'.  
Even in the last month further claim difficulties have emerged as the community attempts to gain a ‘special purpose lease’ over the Uleralkwe land (the other 16 town camps all have it).
       

click photo to enlarge  
detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something...

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