Words for Birds

Camel Gate 2007 Work in progress by John Wolsley

I can’t describe John Wolseley’s work easily. I might say that he is an explorer or an archeologist or an artist. His work makes me get lost.  I was looking for a book to blog about from my bookshelf and pulled this one out Lines For Birds by Barry Hill and John Wolseley, Poems and Paintings. I thought I might flick through and find a beautiful work to share but that was an hour ago. I have flicked and read and my mind has wandered in the same way Wolsley’s work takes you on an exploration through mark making.

With Carla yesterday spotting birds in the lush hills and cool bush, getting caught in a downpour and steamy hot weather reminded me of Wolsley. His work unfolds like the weather and colour of a day. He involves the paper in a landscape and draws from his immersion in what surrounds him. At times he lets the bush impact and may bury a work or leave it alone for some time and return to check on it’s alone-ness. He uses maps, weather, writing and meticulous drawing as well as random marks made by the environment.

Leaf Litter Bark and Birdsong Cobboboonee Forest detail 2006 2007

Detail Upside-down Flowers 1982

Poetry is just another extension of his work and it’s understandable that words would go hand in hand with his artwork. He is a truly remarkable artist and I have never enjoyed an art book as much as his Landmarks by Sasha Grishin. I remember sitting up in bed scribbling notes madly into my sketch book.  Lines for Birds is not only about Wolseley’s work but poetry on birds. I have included this excerpt from one of the poems by Barry Hill,

OVERALL PATTERN

There were two birds. One, in pencil, dreamed on graphite leaves,

it’s belly full of perfect fit with bed and dance and  dinner.

The more I looked the more I thought it merged with fine matter

drawn with the ease with which it could be erased.

Rimbaud and Marcel Set Adrift

I love reading poetry but not to others. I love the words but have only ever read a poem aloud to an audience once and it was truly horrible – not the poem, me.  When I see someone so passionate about poetry and being able to perform, it’s special. I received news Marcel had died recently and was sent this link of his performance of  Rimbaud’s The Drunken Boat, with images of works by local artists and friends rollicking around on his words. It reminded me of my Dad – who would stand and deliver, recite with passion.

I decided to share Marcel’s passion with you. “A man who can reach down stars and pick up mountains” A quote about Marcel by Barbara Blackman in a letter to Judith Wright.

Spanish Poets, Bacon, Whisson and Me

I still can’t make up my mind if it’s the hippy mentality of “It all has to mean somethin’ man” or there is a quantifiable reason behind it.

Today Anthony Bond, curator of International Art talked about the upcoming Francis Bacon exhibition. Once again a link pops up – this time by the way of Frederica Lorca poetry.

Less than a week ago I was flicking through a book of Lorca’s poetry laid on a table in the Ken Whisson AS IF show.

 

 

 

So here it is, an elegy for a Spanish Bullfighter.

At Five in the Afternoon

At five in the afternoon.
It was exactly five in the afternoon.
A boy brought the white sheet
at five in the afternoon.
A frail of lime ready prepared
at five in the afternoon.
The rest was death, and death alone
at five in the afternoon.

And so the path continues, it was Whiteley led me to Bacon, Bacon led me to Muybridge and no doubt that path will cross others and meander back to the start.

Hurtled into the Safety of a Letter

While the Prime Minister was being hurtled to safety in Canberra I was not that far away in a world of poetry, music and art.  I love this country but choose not to celebrate it on the day it was taken from the original owners so I try to immerse myself in things yobbos would not and The National Library is just the place.

“Handwritten” an exhibition of works from the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin was simply wonderful. My last adventure to the Library was to see Nick Cave’s genius, this time it was wonder after wonder. From Dante’s Divine Comedy, exquisite illuminations, letters from Napolean and Kafka to Beethovens 5th Symphony.  His chaotic, powerful notes crossed and re-written  and as you study the darkened marks on the staves -the music opens and my goose pimples explode in those few notes.  In the same darkened room the delicateness of Fanny Mendelssohn, sister to Felix Mendelssohn is a complete contrast and a simple pencil drawing by her artist husband adorns the edge of the manuscript, the words by poet Josephf Von Eichendorff.

It’s this relationship between music, art and poetry that reccurs in a letter dated jdth August 179i3 by Goethe.  He has written a poem especially for his artist friend Roesel who had sent him a drawing. At the top of the letter he has combined a brush and a pen within a laurel wreath.

Perhaps the most poignant comes from a man named Peter Hagendorf, a small intimate well thumbed diary of an ordinary man. A soldier in the 30 year war (1618-1648) This diary covered a 25 year period and described atrocities of war such as a beautiful young woman of 18 burned alive to recipes of tasty pumpernickel. Over this time he writes on losing his wife and eight children and enduring poverty and injuries to wealth and accounts of lands that he journeyed through.

A page from Hagendorf's diary 1624

Picking up a Library Newsletter on the way out was an article concerning Arthur Boyd and Sidney Nolan in producing backdrops for the Ballet. I treasure poetry and music, I am influenced by musicians and poets as much as other visual artists.

I didn’t need the fireworks for Australia Day, Beethoven supplied those.

Images from “Handwritten” Ten Centuries of Manuscript Treasures National Library of Australia

The Dream of Wearing Shorts Forever…….

Theme: Generations (or something to that effect) 2007

Yet another that I can’t find the image of as yet.  This work referenced the poetry of Judith Wright and poem -The Sisters. A work that had always spoke to me of Meroogal, the idea of stories being passed through generations, of lost loves and what could of beens. The work comprised a lot of complex pieces one being a digital sketch of Meroogal -I could fine that one.  This work was also Highly Commended and received The Packers Prize too. Another talk at The Mint and Wollongong Gallery where I was so nervous I swore I would never do that again.

Bird Series

Once again signs became the impetus for these works.  I had taken images of the birds off signs and planted them into the landscape and vice versa, painted the bird from life and placed it out of it’s surroundings and into images of signs depicting the area -as with Shag at Lady Denman. I love the simplified versions of the bird portrayed in signage -such as the bristle bird that is easily recognisable but lends itself to my own interpretation in paint with colour.

Birds are a constant source of fascination for me and one of my very favourite books is Birds by Judith Wright.  It combines wonderful illustrations with Judith Wrights poetry.