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.


01 August 2016

ARS ABOUT

   
The scroll text below translates as :
The form of our Grand patriarch facing the wall in meditation or is it a tasty melon or an eggplant from around here in Yahata?

(signed) Eighty-five-year-old Nantembo Toju


 Wall Gazing Daruma by Nakahara Nantembo                  collection FIAPCE 


Theatre of the Actors of Regard : René Magritte, 'La reproduction interdite' / 'Not to be Reproduced', 1937, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam
       

Roy Lichtenstein, 'Stretcher frame with vertical bars', 1968

After that brief genre intro, we now turn to and from the impetus for this post: the Vic Muniz exhibition "Verso" at The Mauritshuis in The Hague until 4 September.

above: Muniz and his team's meticulous verisimilitude applied to the current behind-the-scenes support of 'La Gioconda'

Front of house Theatre of the Actors of Regard verso scenes :
Two Women of TAR with verso of Vermeer's 'Girl with a Pearl Earing'
photo Margareta Svensson
                
Two Men of TAR with a 6 x 4


 Woman of TAR with Green Shoulder Bag                      photo : Ivone Lopes

All very refreshing in a time when so many feel the need to affirm that they and their projects are "moving forward". Our office's antidote to such progressive announcements is a spirited chorus of I'm Walking Backwards For Xmas, released by The Goons on 25 June (!) 1956.


               
 I'm walking backwards for Christmas, 
 Across the Irish Sea, 
 I'm walking backwards for Christmas,
 It's the only thing for me.

 I've tried walking sideways, 
 And walking to the front, 
 But people just look at me, 
 And say it's a publicity stunt. 

 I'm walking backwards for Christmas, 
 To prove that I love you.