Arni and Doug,
Mnay thanks for your comments. I have a novel called _The Volcano_ which
I am about to read by Venero Armanno. I am thinking about earthquakes
too, something like the earth in a convulsive revolt against humans.
It is interesting that Doug can say he only has questions. What I was
doing is not philosophy but fiction which can proliferate questions.
Philosophy has all these different rules and procedures which I was not
following (things like the principle of noncontradiction, laying out a
problem, only certain questions can be asked and so forth.) Theory or
philosophy can only understand part of what was going on and is limited
in that sense. I got some ideas on how to do this from Blanchot and Gore
Vidal, who is a more difficult and complex writer then his easy flowing
prose suggests. The university could be a figure of the city or urban
space, too. It is not a free for all, there is rigor, but you can fly
off in all directions. (Dave knew what to do, from what he said.)
Whiteley, I can agreee does cut through romanticism in possibly a very
critical way. The Art Gallery of NSW has a fantastic collection of
Modernist Aust artists, but nothing on display. Last time I was there
with a 4D artist friend there was only one small looking painting every
forty or so feet and we fled for the nearest exit with tears welling in
our eyes. I call them art vandals, those people who decide what art the
Australian public can or cannot see. They should pack the exhibition
area so tightly with the paintings they have hidden away that not
another painting can be fitted into the exhibition space and we could
feast on them whenever we choose. (I do have access to the Gallery's
archives but it is so much hassle it is as good as not having access and
nothing against those who work in arts admin. If they get a ministerial
saying remove a work from public display it would cost them their job
and home if they refused, I should add.)
There is a brilliant and huge Whiteley in the foyer of the Darling
Harbour Convention Centre, Sydney, but I don't know if it is still there.
best wishes
Chris Jones.
Douglas Barbour wrote:
>Hair-raising stories of your life in the old times Chris. The revolution(s)
>as themselves Roantic gestures? I think Frederick would go along with that?
>
>I have nothing but questions in this mode it seems.
>
>As to Whiteley, well I remember being introduced to him by an ex-rocker who
>loved his work & had the early big book. When I got to the galleries, I
>confess I was most taken by Fred Williams, but a lot of the other major
>20th century Australian artists got to me too, & Whiteley's work is
>certainly interestingfor the way it takes up the Romanticism of the 60s &
>then how he, even with the drugs etc, somehow gets past that, or through
>it, & manages to construct some massive canvases that interrogate, in their
>way, the very things they also celebrate.
>
>Thanks for your provocative thinking on all of this...
>
>Doug
>
>Douglas Barbour
>Department of English
>University of Alberta
>Edmonton Alberta Canada T6G 2E5
>(h) [780] 436 3320 (b) [780] 492 0521
>http://www.ualberta.ca/~dbarbour/dbhome.htm
>
> and as you read
> the sea is turning its dark pages
> turning
> its dark pages.
>
> Denise Levertov
>
>
>
>
|