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.


18 August 2020

Vale John Nixon (1949-2020)


Artist, colleague, friend.


John Nixon, Untitled (Black), enamel on canvas, 1968


Jenny Watson, John, 1975           collection : Monash University


Robert Rooney, JOHN NIXON 1, JANUARY 1979
1979 photo (printed 2012)
collection National Portrait Gallery


John Nixon, White cross, 1986                          collection NGV

INSTAGRAM POST David Pestorius two days ago :

australianfinearts Here’s another of John Nixon’s Polaroid self-portraits from the early 1980s. This time, however, there’s another subject – the Melbourne artist Peter Tyndall, who worked closely with John on diverse projects at this time, not the least being John’s Melbourne gallery, Art Projects, which Peter managed while John was living in Brisbane and running the Institute of Modern Art in 1980 and 1981. The Polaroid is dated verso 14 January 1981, which indicates it was probably taken in Melbourne (and possibly at Art Projects), as the IMA would have been closed in January for summer holidays. The image seems to say as much, with John up front but slightly out of focus and Peter sharp behind him. It’s another great shot from the 100 Polaroid piece titled ‘Lot 3’ (1980-81) by The Society For Other Photography, which is the name John gave this strand of his production.



John Nixon and Peter Cripps at Art Projects, 1982
photo by Janine Burke
Personal View: Photographs 1978–1986

John Nixon, Studio (Melbourne), 1984


The rest, as they say ...

  
Rex Butler at Gertrude Contemporary, 2013 
'John Nixon: A Communist Artist' : listen here 

... is history.

Late last year, John was diagnosed with leukemia and underwent chemotherapy. Despite that, he made it to the launch of Doug Hall's Present Tense : Anna Schwartz Gallery And Thirty-Five Years Of Contemporary Australian Art upstairs at ASG.


Theatre of the Actors of Regard  

 detail

 A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/

 someone looks at something...

  

 LOGOS/HA HA

Anna Schwartz Gallery re-opened for 2020 with an exhibition by John Nixon : Groups + Pairs 2016 - 2020


In March, as the exhibition was due to close, a COVID-19 lockdown was declared, and so it has stayed.

 

Today, In Memoriam, the gallery announced that the exhibition will remain until the end of the year.


ASG : "Our communal loss cannot be overstated."