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.


13 May 2014

When is a stereotype not a stereotype?

 
Tonight, the Treasurer Joe Hockey will present his first Budget for the Abbott coalition Government. Given the leaks and predictions of 'savage cuts and broken promises', Parliament House, Canberra, has been dubbed for this event The House of Pain.
    
Commonly described as an Economic Rationalist, Hockey has been warning the people of Australia that 'the Economy is in crisis'; that 'the Age of Entitlement is over' and, as a consequence, that 'we must all do some heavy-lifting'.

On Friday last, having sent The Budget to print, Treasurer Joe Hockey and Finance Minister Mathias Corman with their cuban cigar props re-staged the epiLOGOS/HA HA scene from Boston Legal.
       
         
When is a stereotype not a stereotype? Compare the above with this postcard image from a hundred years ago. Form follows function, or what?


       
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A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
someone looks at something ... 

LOGOS/HA HA