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.


11 February 2019

SUPPORT sought...


for an imminent break away! Surely, it must fall?!
see: Means to Suspension of Disbelief

Yesterday, we were looking at and admiring this Theatre of the Actors of Regard page from the National Gallery of Australia's Foundation Annual Report 2015-16.


Theatre of the Actors of Regard  
Conceptual Annual Report : Instead of suspending the heavy gold-framed picture - A break away! (1891) by the Australian artist Tom Roberts, collection of AGSA -  as it would have been hung when first exhibited, by strong metal wires attached at one end to the wall and at the other to this weighty object, the artwork here appears to float, SUPPORT-ed not by any physical wires but by the word SUPPORT , by the power of inscription, the spell of LANGUAGE.

We also note the intricacies of this photographic composition. At the base of the outer image, the silhouette man's raised right shoe turns to direct us to the leg-cropped woman. Inside the painted pic, the well-fit jigsaw-piece horseman, he too, leans out to point to the woman's curve of neck and head.

 It's that old vaudeville magic. The no-visible-means-of-support leviation trick.  Another break away! brought under control.


Theatre of the Actors of Regard  
 Thank you for your support.

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