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.
Looking at some comic sketches in a volume of Le Monde Illustre, we note with interest that by 1865 (see the various dates discussed below) there was already reckoned a readership for a public spoof about "a project for a symbolic statue of modern art". Consolidation of this new movement is clear in the terminoLOGOS/HA HA (''l'art moderne") and in its mock monumental stature. (What is that thing he's holding out?)
Projet d'une statue symbolique de l'art moderne.
Le Mois Comique, par Edmond Morin et Zed.
Le Monde Illustre, p.269, 1865
History of modern Art: roots in the 19th century
Although modern sculpture and architecture are reckoned to have emerged at the end of the 19th century, the beginnings of modern
painting can be located earlier.[5] The date perhaps most commonly identified as marking the birth of modern art is 1863,[6]
the year that Édouard Manet showed his painting Le déjeuner sur l'herbe in the Salon des Refusés in Paris. Earlier dates have also been proposed, among them 1855 (the year Gustave Courbet
exhibited The Artist's Studio) and 1784 (the year Jacques-Louis David completed his painting The Oath of the Horatii ).[6]
NB It is The Oath of the Horatii that the Outsiders run past and leave us to regard in Goddard's 'Bande à part' (Band of Outsiders) a century after the Projet d'une statue symbolique de l'art modernes, making this another contender worthy of consideration at the starting line of post-Modernism.
- Ed. bLOGOS/HA HA
In the words of art historian H. Harvard Arnason: "Each of these dates has significance for the development of modern art, but none categorically marks a completely new beginning .... A gradual metamorphosis took place in the course of a hundred years."[6]
- from Wikipedia
Jean-Luc Goddard "Bande à part" (Band of Outsiders) 1964
detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something...
LOGOS/HA HA
Fosterville
Institute of
Applied &
Progressive
Cultural
Experience
ppesents
presents
poesents
puesents
pdesents
plesents
pyesents
A
New
Arrangement
Gives
Readers
Another
Museum
FIAPCE
detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something...
LOGOS/HA HA
Day One of business in the 45th Parliament of Oz
and within hours it's on for Young & Olde :
"Division required? Ring the bells."
Theatre of the Actors of Regard
reporting from the Press Gallery, Canberra
detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something...
LOGOS/HA HA
After a hiatus of 116 days (hic!)
today in the ACT
ParliamenTAR is back!
Let's get ceremonial -
outside, Sir Peter inspects the Holders of the Projection-Space Ideograms of Inter-Dependent
Arising
Then, with the assistance of the Sgt-at-Arms and the Usher of the Black Rod, we're soon inside the House.
Place the Mace!
Speaker :
Order! Order!!
photo: Andrew Meares, The Age
detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something...
LOGOS/HA HA
Still musing on the TOKYO 2020 intro at the Rio Olympics closing ceremony...
A red disc, a red sphere.
What could be simpler?
A person holding and looking at a red sphere.
What could be simpler?
Super Mario holding and looking at a red sphere.
What could be simpler?
Japanese Prime Minister holding and looking at a red sphere.
What could be simpler?
Japanese Emperor holding and looking at a red sphere.
What could be simpler?
Adult dragon holding and looking at a red or white sphere.
What could be simpler?
"In the figure of Fukurokuju, divine wisdom puts on
a very human face."
-
Wisdom : A History by Trevor Curnow
Something that came to mind when we saw the image of Super Mario/Prime Minister Abe holding and looking at a red sphere is the scroll pictured below, by Kano Kyuhaku (1621-1688) from the FIAPCE collection.
We take this aged, lofty-headed figure to be Fukurokuju, one of Seven Gods of Good Fortune in Japanese mythoLOGOS/HA HA. Fukurokuju is usually associated with wealth, longevity, wisdom.
In this image the allegorical objects that would signify these first two fortunate circumstances are not present. We therefore read this as an image of the beholding of wisdom. The symbolic object that the deity holds and regards is a hōju, a flaming pearl of wisdom.
Kano Kyuhaku (1621-1688)
detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something ...
LOGOS/HA HA
In the previous post we mentioned a few reference points that flickered on the radar as we watched the TOKYO 2020 opener at the Rio Olympics closing ceremony.
Another allusion, less obvious than those, was to David Cronenberg's 'Scanners' (1981).
Theatre of Archetypes Regard
During one sequence of the TOKYO 2020 presentation the performers shape their fluorescent cubes into the outline of an open eye.
At the centre of that eye (above) is the green outlet of the Tokyo-Rio tunnel drilled through our Earth-O-Sphere by Super Mario.
Anatomy of the eye, woodcut circa 1503 'Margarita Philosophica' by Gregor Reisch, Freiburg 1503
The Super One emerges through this green reveal and transforms into Prime Minister Abe who then holds aloft the all-symbolising red sphere he has brought from the other side.
Sitting among this Rio TAR is Darryl Revok...
flashback scene :
Meeting of the IOC prior to choosing the host for the 2020 Olympic Games :
At this point I'd like to call for volunteers.
Anyone. It doesn't matter...
Darryl Revok volunteers
Fine.
Just, uh... Sit right here, please.
Now, I'd, I'd like you to think of something specific. Something that will not breach the security of your organization. And that you will not object to having disclosed to this group. Something, uh, personal, perhaps.
- All right. Yes, I have something. Do I have to close my eyes?
It doesn't matter.
- All right. Yes, I have something.
from the David Cronenberg script for 'Scanners'
Some time later ...
Tell us what you did, please, Darryl.
- I drilled a hole in my head.
Where?
- Kind of obvious, isn't it? Right here.
Why did you do it, Darryl? Why did you drill the hole?
- Too much pressure. Had to release some pressure.
You wanted to let the pressure out? You wanted to let something out of your head?
- Maybe I'm so smart I can't contain the thoughts in my head.
You wanted to let something out of your head?What?
- People. There are people in my head. Not enough room for Darryl.
You mean voices?
- No. Whole people. Arms, legs, hands.
What's that you've put over the hole?
- It's a door. Put an eye on the door so they won't know it's a door and they can't get back in 'cause this is the eye you know?
Do you think that will fool them?
- Sure. Sure it will. I mean... I mean, sure it will, you know?
from the David Cronenberg script for 'Scanners'
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something ...
Did you see the teaser for TOKYO 2020
at the Rio Olympics closing ceremony?
Best thing since Kon Ichikawa's Tokyo Olympiad (1965), Gary Numan's Cars (1979), Pet Shop Boys' West End Girls (1984)...
Theatre of the Athletes of Regard
SUCH SUFFICIENT FORTUNE
One O/ZERO/ENSO in LOVE
One O/ZERO/ENSO in SPORT
BINGO!
O FORTUNA
twO O/ZERO/ENSO in TOKYO
twO O/ZERO/ENSO in 2O2O
BINGO! BINGO!
Theatre of the Athletes of Regard
LOOK!
Japanese TAR - PM Shinzō Abe as Super MariO
Theatre of the Actors of Regard
LOOK!
West End Girls + East End Boys
Theatre of the Actors of Regard
detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something ...
LOGOS/HA HA
LO+OS/HA HA
LO+OS/HA HA
LO+OS/HA HA
LO+OS/HA HA
LO+OS/HA HA
LOGOS/HA HA
Sign of the times, the number of Olympic athletes conspicuously testifying to their God.
Perhaps it's not such a good look if you're on the starting block, kiss a cross then break before the starter's gun and are immediately disqualified.
Better, perhaps, if you are Neymar, the captain of the host country's beloved football team and you kick the winning goal in the Olympic Final shoot-out for Gold.
Soli Deo gloria
Hoc est Corpus Meum
As if to underline something
a couple of newspaper clippings from the same day
Qui manducat carnem meam
Give me Liberty, or Give me Death!
detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something...
LOGOS/HA HA
We've appreciated the inclusion of some of the more contemporary sports at the Rio Olympics.
It was great to see running-and-shooting brought to the fore in Modern Pentathlon. Congratulations to Chloe Espesito for winning that.
Chloe Esposito
And in Gymnastics, mandala ideogram rotation. Congratulations to the Aussie mixed doubles team from Sorlie's Revue for taking out the Antipodean Pedal section of that one.
photo Jeff Carter
detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something...
LOGOS/HA HA
Le Louvre
Gold Silver Bronze
medals not collected
Jean-Luc Goddard "Bande à part" (Band of Outsiders) 1964
detail
A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something...
LOGOS/HA HA
