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.


14 March 2018

TAR sends...

Theatre of the Activists of Regard (Paris) 
Activists Pressure Louvre to Drop Oil Company Sponsorship with Die-in

Benjamin Sutton / Hyperallergic

On Monday morning, visitors to the Louvre were treated to an unexpected spectacle as a group of activists fell to the floor in front of Théodore Géricault’s famous painting, The Raft of the Medusa (1818–19), extending its vivid scene of disaster on the high seas into the gallery. The performance protest was created by Libérons le Louvre, and as more performers keeled over, others listed the current endeavors of one of the Louvre’s most visible corporate sponsors, energy giant Total.

“Total, Alberta, Canada,” began one chant, alluding to the French multinational’s activities in western Canada. “Tar sands...

 Watch video here (1'46")


photo by Libérons le Louvre  
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