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.
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‘A picture tells a thousand words.’ This adage is the inspiration for an innovative new exhibition, in which the public becomes the curator.
A Thousand Words presents 100 of the most compelling photographic images from the rich collections of Sydney Living Museums and the State Archives and Records Authority of NSW, created between the 1880s and the 1980s.
A Thousand Words adopts a philosophy that everyone can interpret history through the lens of their background, experiences, values and aspirations. Unlike a standard exhibition, the images are presented without traditional curatorial interpretation. Instead, the public have been invited to contribute responses – whether emotive, nostalgic or imaginative – and this ‘crowdsourced’ material translated into the exhibition design. New creative works have also been commissioned from established and emerging writers and artists, each responding to an image from the exhibition.
View and respond to some of the unique images at #OneWordWednesday and #SayitonSaturday, on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
A Thousand Words is also available as an online exhibition.
A Thousand Words is a collaboration between Sydney Living Museums and State Archives.
Theatre of the Animals of Regard
detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something...
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