“we intone your scripts,
hold them close in our hearts” – sailors’ ode
A folio of 12 images, with accompanying scriptural fragments, relating to placards and signs from the realm of cerebria. The works are from 2021. Archival prints are available up to A2 size. Poetic works can be found in the book a larger land.
Here is a clavis, or key, to the realm of cerebria.
Many of these works use background images by Max Hutzel (1911-1988), who photographed in Italy from the early 1960s until his death. The result of this exhaustive and elegant project (over 72,000 images) was referred to by Hutzel as Foto Arte Minore – a documentation of art historical developments in Italy up to the 18th century.
1. bask
1Once, four sailors walked near one of the repurposed places of worship they inhabit, and saw that “BASK” had been written upon it. 2The first sailor doubted that this was a word. 3The second thought it was, and that it reminded him not to over-work, and to bask in the sun. 4The third said that it had been written by a diviner and that it was a reminder of the sailors’ main task. 5The fourth remained silent.
2. wisdom of the ages
1It has been recorded that the three visiting voids said: “The wisdom of the ages is written on our skins”. 2We found this same text emblazoned on an abode we reuse for our worship.
3. primordial edicts
1Three visiting voids spoke primordial edicts. 2These dour siblings spoke the edicts and our diviners wrote them down. 3We sailors petition the diviners for the edicts. 4Though they cannot now be spoken, there are references to them in the crypts of our realm. 5The edicts were wordless texts of wisdom and we say they were spoken by voids of valence.
4. canyon of dark repose
1On a hill near our town lies the ruin of a pagan place of worship. 2Under the hill lies our canyon, the canyon of dark repose, to which placards point the way. 3Dark breath emanates from the mouth of this canyon and foreshadows the atmosphere within. 4Courageous sailors, venturing far into the canyon, attest to its name.
5. cave sopor et focus familiaris
1A sailor chanced upon a derelict building. 2Although overcome by malaise, he felt compelled to explore the building, for he had an intuition that it contained valuable texts, amongst the detritus of an early and repressive age. 3A sign on the building read “CAVE SOPOR ET FOCUS FAMILIARIS”, which meant “Beware of sleep and the family hearth”. 4The sailor fell to his knees and exhorted the three voids to watch over him as he explored the building. 5He feared that once inside he might not be able to retrace his steps and find his way back.
6. way to the snow mother
1It’s reported that the snow mother offered three kinds of provision to sailors passing through our alpine town of agalia. 2The first was a rich and hearty vegetarian stew. 3The second was a dry non-food wafer. 4The third was a sacred prostitute. 5Sailors in our hanging valleys set up signs showing the way to the snow mother.
7. incomparable triviality
1The same four sailors who had encountered the word “BASK” visited the snow mother. 2She was holding audience in a disused crypt in our alpine town of agalia. 3On the wall behind the sailors she had written “INCOMPARABLE TRIVIALITY OF OUR AFFAIRS ON THE EXQUISITE TERRIBLE MOTE OUR EARTH”. 4The sailors bowed their heads in reverence. 5The tops of their hats were faced with a yellow fabric.
8. acanui fluens, acanui stans
1In her store in the alpine town of agalia, the snow mother offers provisions to passing pilgrims. 2This store was once a place of worship for the bureaucratic sect that ruled in our realm. 3Now she supplies pilgrims – diviners and sailors – on their journeys to the black rock and the snow-covered peaks of our land. 4The snow mother stocks placards, sought after by diviners in their arcane pursuits. 5A placard she once had said “acanui fluens, acanui stans”, and this referred to two different but concurrent experiences of the child-goddess acanui.
9. where the dark winds ever blow
1Far beyond agalia, on a high saddle, there is a place that sailors come to. 2Deeply wearied by their journey, and only partly aware of the reason for their travel, they pause on this saddle and eat provisions purchased from the snow mother. 3Invariably they become aware of dark winds that blow incessantly over the saddle. 4The winds chill them, yet they become further intent upon their pilgrimage. 5A placard at the saddle reads “WHERE THE DARK WINDS EVER BLOW”.
10. kenotic
1There is a mountain pass by which our sailors must journey. 2Some sailors have seen acanui there, in her fleeting, or fluens, form. 3One said she trailed a placard reading “kenotic”.
11. exile
1On his journey in the alpine region of cerebria, a sailor became disoriented. 2He took a path that led to a place cleared of snow. 3Here was a shelter, built in a time of obscurity. 4On the shelter was painted the word “EXILE”.
12. shied, abjured
“look for me in your next breath or your last”
– acanui speaks (after thunder perfect mind)
1Acanui, in doorways, glimpsed then gone. 2Waif-form ever moving.
3Adept of elisions. 4But for the curious, unseen. 5Bereft, by losing all knows the vessel of all. 6In windows of a shopfront in agalia, placards reading “SHIED” and “ABJURED” were raised to her.
3Adept of elisions. 4But for the curious, unseen. 5Bereft, by losing all knows the vessel of all. 6In windows of a shopfront in agalia, placards reading “SHIED” and “ABJURED” were raised to her.
“how acanui is an unmoving pivot,
a weight that perpetually swings” – bridge to enchantment
“nuanced glittered luminous
clouded lunar feigned” – nocturne (for acanui)
1. bask – digital painting / photomontage, background from “Campania–Caserta–Caserta–Palazzo Reale, Image 13”.
2. wisdom of the ages – digital painting / photomontage, background from “Abruzzo–Alanno–Madonna delle Grazie, Image 8”.
3. primordial edicts – digital painting / photomontage, background from “Campania–Caserta–Santa Maria Capua Vetere–Mitreo, Image 33”.
4. canyon of dark repose – digital painting / photomontage, background from “Sardinia–Sassari–Ardara–S. Antioco di Bisarcio, Image 1”.
5. cave sopor et focus familiaris – digital painting / photomontage, background from Abruzzo–L’Aquila–Fossa–Monastery of S. Spirito d’Ocre, Image 2.
6. way to the snow mother – digital painting, from sixteenth abidance.
7. incomparable triviality – digital painting / photomontage, background from “Umbria–Perugia–Schifanoia–S. Michele Arcangelo, Image 21”.
8. acanui fluens, acanui stans – digital painting / photomontage, background from “Lazio–Viterbo–Nepi–Oratorio di S. Biagio, Image 13”.
9. where the dark winds ever blow – digital painting, from fifteenth abidance.
10. kenotic – digital painting, from seventeenth abidance
11. exile – digital painting / photomontage, background from second abidance
12. shied, abjured – digital painting, detail from fifteenth abidance.
(Background images in Nos. 1 – 5, 7 and 8 are from Max Hutzel, 1960 – 1990, credit Getty Open Content Program.)
2. wisdom of the ages – digital painting / photomontage, background from “Abruzzo–Alanno–Madonna delle Grazie, Image 8”.
3. primordial edicts – digital painting / photomontage, background from “Campania–Caserta–Santa Maria Capua Vetere–Mitreo, Image 33”.
4. canyon of dark repose – digital painting / photomontage, background from “Sardinia–Sassari–Ardara–S. Antioco di Bisarcio, Image 1”.
5. cave sopor et focus familiaris – digital painting / photomontage, background from Abruzzo–L’Aquila–Fossa–Monastery of S. Spirito d’Ocre, Image 2.
6. way to the snow mother – digital painting, from sixteenth abidance.
7. incomparable triviality – digital painting / photomontage, background from “Umbria–Perugia–Schifanoia–S. Michele Arcangelo, Image 21”.
8. acanui fluens, acanui stans – digital painting / photomontage, background from “Lazio–Viterbo–Nepi–Oratorio di S. Biagio, Image 13”.
9. where the dark winds ever blow – digital painting, from fifteenth abidance.
10. kenotic – digital painting, from seventeenth abidance
11. exile – digital painting / photomontage, background from second abidance
12. shied, abjured – digital painting, detail from fifteenth abidance.
(Background images in Nos. 1 – 5, 7 and 8 are from Max Hutzel, 1960 – 1990, credit Getty Open Content Program.)