Ancient Stones

Tags

archeology, fotografie, Greece, History, landscape, Macedonia, Petres, philosophy, photography

In countries like Greece, the visitor must rely on stones to get a grasp of history and important developments of culture.

During a short journey in May 2019, In the department of Pella, Macedonia, Greece, we followed signs indicating “Ancient Archeological Site of Petres”.

When arriving there, and having parked the rented car and after walking about 400 m, the most surprising elements to us, were ancient big jars, present in many houses, that had been installed to store water (photo 1).

Looking at the plan of the small city, with rectangular houses, one starts to imagine people walking here, more than two thousand years ago. Discussing family affairs, the harvest, trade, threats… (photo 2).

The firm conclusion was: use talk, or writing, as social medium.

Information about the history of Ancient Petres:

“The ancient city occupies a natural mound to the NW of the village of Petres, in the region of Florina. Its total area reached 15-20 hectares and was protected by a fortification wall built of poros stone. The enclosed area included houses, and public buildings erected in a free layout, separated by streets, 2.5 m. wide. The city was founded in the 3rd century B.C. by Antigonos Gonatas, it flourished in the 2nd century B.C. and it ceased to exist in the 1st century B.C. It was again inhabited in the Roman period, but it moved to a different site.

The archaeological evidence leads to the conclusion that the city owed its development to its strategic position on the Egnatia Road and to its commercial exchanges with other Greek cities. The excavations of the site revealed useful information on the types of the private houses, which were continuously used in north-west Macedonia as late as the 19th century.

Excavations on the site were begun in 1982 and are still in progress, along with restoration and consolidation work of the ancient remains.

Wikimapia, with use of infomation of: http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/3/eh352.jsp?obj_id=2653,

 

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Judges Report Final Round Figurative Art in Three Dimensions

Tags

3-D, abstract, Dada, decision, fotografie, installation, instruction, jury, kunst, nothingness, photography, ready-made, report, Spain, subversive, three-dimensional, wall

XXth Competion at Art Center VIMOMUX, year 2019

After thorough deliberation, trying to reach consensus and equal imput of the members of the jury, a final decision was reached on the three submitted art-peaces created by Drager Meurtant (NL, 1951)

During the process, the five members from the jury weighed the pros and cons of artistic protuberances, by applying the elementary principles prescribed for separation of figurative versus abstract (Instruction Report #A12B-567, 1983).

“Sorry Jean”

Art-peace One: “Sorry Jean” (2018)

Comments: the raw, primitive nature of the semi-figurative concrete relief, associates firmly with the wall and hence, the placement creates an actuality in addressing contemporary trauma. The integrative character expressed by the circumstantial placement on pre-existing background, makes the art an holistic event. The wholeness further enhances the pertinent relation with contemporary queries into the genesis of soul as sole force feeding eternality.

Decision: accept.

“Solitary Traveller”

Art-peace Two: “Solitary Traveller” (2018)

Comments: this ready-made, sculptural figuration really transpires the solitude, as the title implicates. By referring to the multiple miniature quadrants, the depth of research is enhanced, for the validity of use of objects – that in their history served a different role – in art practice, as this was first employed by Marcel Duchamp (Bicycle Wheel, 1913) or even earlier by the DaDa artist Elsa, the Baroness of Freytag-Loringhoven, with her Enduring Ornament (1913).

The blackish color reflects the loss of relevance of this art-medium for many art-historians. The use of one-sided lighting anguishes the perception by the viewer, in it’s ineluctable blow of the flow of time towards the end, without escape. In this way, the figure announces death, as already can be derived from the two title words.

Decision: accept.

“The Triangle”

Art-peace three: “The triangle” (2019)

Comments: the narrow margin lifting this work from two- into three dimensions serves a function as to elude from fixed barriers, frames and borders. The material applied, and the colors that follow at (superb) lighting are enchanting the spectator. With experience, however, the true meaning comes into vision: a play with prejudice, superstition and ordinary judgement. The host – when placed oppositive this well-crafted work, becomes a graft not able to suppress the primary reaction of being placed in a hostile environment. This conflict deepens the experience, since doubt opens the mind.

Decision: accept (special honor).

Members of the Jury:

Jacques de Santo Torres (chair)

Anna Viltan Navon (secretary)

Karl Hütting Wltack (member)

Vladimir Brosvokic (member)

Faith Runungongo (member)

Sense or no sense

Tags

antenna, antenne, connection, coping, Dada, digital, fotografie, gedicht, gezondheid, health, internet, kunst, philosophy, photography, poetry, poezie, verbinding

Where and when sense switches to no – sense, is illustrated by three poems and images.

Ears

The size of ears / devised to hear signals

of distant life

parallels / the loss of perception

from life nearby.

 

Call center

“Think simple and relax:

by moving this job to Asia / the lady has more time/ to go shopping

and that’s good/ for our economy.”

 

Digital death

We are digitally / close to death

after loosing three / of our passwords

and having forgotten / the birthdate of

our parents.

The screen will snow / and our ears hear

the whistle of / the amazone

going by.

(photos and text (c) Drager Meurtant)

Parque Tématico del Granite, Los Santos

Tags

abstract, fotografie, installation, kunst, landscape, photography, poetry, Salamanca, sculpture parc, Spain

In the province of Salamanca in Spain, close to the village Los Santos, there is the amazing Parque Tématico del Granite de los Santos.

Driving small and quiet road from Salamanca to Bejar, the parc is on the left. Huge blocks of granite, derived from nearby quarry, are placed as installations (see photos).

“if you are able / to put stones together / likes tones in a composition / the wind will whistle compliments.”

 

“The stand-still of stones is a dream that moves at a speed, unvisible for the human eye”

 

“The clang of rocks, hit by a hammer, produces a pain that can be tolerated by sculptors”

 

The artist puts a metal figure on rock: stone age preceded iron age.

the last sentence I leave to you…

Moment

Tags

abstract, condition humaine, coping, Dada, essential, fotografie, gedicht, kunst, philosophy, photography, poem, poetry

When emotions no longer

are stirred by elements

that pass.

When anger is frozen

by lack of a proper

target.

Then comes the moment

to turn the page.

Wanneer emoties niet langer

worden opgeroepen door elementen

die langs komen,

Als woede is bevroren

bij gebrek aan een geschikt

doel,

Dan komt het moment

de bladzij om te slaan.

(c) Drager Meurtant, text & photo, March 1, 2018

Water – H2O

Tags

assemblage, collage, Dada, fotografie, gedicht, kunst, nothingness, painting, philosophy, photography, poetry, poezie

Let us linger on the state of water, as fluid.

Laat ons stilstaan bij de staat van water, als vloeistof.

 

(1) Barges on the River Maas

Barges flatten the water / till waves / roll aside / from the prow, /

take distance / and break upon the river-bank. //

Reeds move / and dampen the billows. //

On the river /  the distance is crossed by foam /

that separates left from right, /

there, where the goal / has been passed. //

With eyes looking ahead / steers the skipper / the vessel /

towards another bend / in the counter current. //

Crawling crosspoint / in going / passed the mill-point.

(poem 2000, photo 2012)

(1) Aken op de Maas

Aken varen water, plat / tot golven, / uit de boeg / opzij rollen, /

afstand nemen / en breken op de wal. //

Het riet beweegt / en dooft de deining. //

Op de rivier / streept schuim de afstand door / scheidt links van rechts, /

daar, waar het doel / is voorbij gevaren. //

Ogen vooruit gericht, / stuurt de schipper / zijn vaartuig /

naar weer een bocht / in de tegenstroom. //

Kruipend kruispunt / in het gaan / voorbij het maalpunt.

(gedicht 2000, foto 2012)

 

(2) The Face of the stream

“The face of the stream / changed with the seasons . . . now it wore a gentle face”

 

(from: Morris West – The devil’s advocate)

(Het gezicht van de rivier / veranderde met de seizoenen . . . nu was het aanzicht vriendelijk”)

(uit: Morris West – The devil’s advocate)

(painting / schilderij, 21×29 cm, 2017)

 

(3) Currents

Still, I don’t know / whether to swim / against the current / or to drift along. //

For the time being / I watch what / happens to others.

(3) Stromingen

Nog steeds weet ik niet / of ik tegen de stroom in / moet zwemmen /

of me mee / moet laten drijven. //

Voorlopig kijk ik toe / naar wat anderen overkomt.

(Assemblage-collage, 2016, 30x21x3 cm)

 

(all texts and artworks by Drager Meurtant, unless stated otherwise)

Now tell me . . . / Vertel eens . . .

Tags

abandonned, coping, Dada, emptiness, fotografie, gedicht, health, kunst, philosophy, photography, poetry, poezie, state of life, verlaten

Now tell me

“Hello Doctor, / come in and / please be seated.”

(a moment of silence)

“I prefer we get / to business / right away.

Now tell me:

what use / were you / for society?”

Vertel eens

Hallo Doctor, / kom binnen / en neem een stoel.

(een moment van stilte)

“Ik kom graag / meteen ter zake.

Vertel eens:

welk nut had U / voor de maatschappij?”

An easy path? / Een makkelijk pad?

Tags

Dada, emptiness, fotografie, gedicht, kunst, painting, photography, poetry, poezie, schilderij

Obstacle

Wandering in the forest / the frst impression was / to be confronted by obstacles. //

However, at close inspection / the elements had been constructed /

to bridge a gap.

Obstakel

Dwalend door het bos / was de eerste indruk / te stuiten op obstakels. //

Maar, bij nadere inspectie / bleken de elementen te zijn ontworpen /

om een kloof te dichten.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Do not enter

The medium is clear / that of mixed-media. //

The intention, no … /

the aim is to provide / an easy path through the delta /

of my inner meandering.

Ga niet binnen

Het medium is helder / dat van gemengde techniek. //

De bedoeling, nee … /

het doel is het verschaffen / van een makkelijk pad door de delta /

van mijn innerlijke kronkels.

 

(text and photographs (c) Drager Meurtant, 2017)

Wrong mindset

Tags

coping, fotografie, gedicht, gezondheid, health, nothingness, philosophy, photography, poetry, poezie

Motive

Over the past months, I had to adress problems of the mind. Outside of me (see “Neighbour”) and inside me (see “Pressing”)

Motief

In de afgelopen maanden, moest ik aandacht geven aan een aantal problemen van de geest, in de omgeving, zie “Buurman”, en van binnen, zie “Drukkend” )

(1) Neighbour

“My neighbour is a person / with some fixations.”

“Mijn buurman is iemand / met fixaties.”

 

(2) Pressing

My thoughts / are creeping in front of me / in the twilight,

between coiling branches / of bushes left and right,

aimless / and estranged.

And I’m stuck and / bound / by the channels that /

I feed.

Drukkend

Mijn gedachten / kruipen voor me uit / in het schemer,

tussen de kronkelende takken / van struiken links en rechts,

doelloos / en vervreemd.

En ik zit eraan vast / gebonden / door de kanalen die /

ik voed.

(01-07-2017, (c) Drager Meurtant)

The wholeness of elements

Tags

assemblage, Dada, essential, fotografie, found-object, independent art, installation, kunst, philosophy, photography, poetry, poezie

An essay as Drager Meurtant, titled “Assemblages: the entrails explained”, has been published end of 2015 in Axon Journal Issue 9 (on assemblage, free on line access).

In the form of a poem, the essence of creation of assemblage can be formulated as follows:

Painting elements

Elementary pain / fits the precisionist. // When hammer hits thumb, / the outcry / of the artist / becomes the glue / of the assemblage. // And paint / drenches the pieces / into steady oneness.

Assemblage, wood, metal, glass, paint; http://www.meurtant.exto.org (2014, in private collection)

Installations are different.

This artist must take more time to get to the essence of installations. Here are just two examples (first image, then text):

Drone just landed in a meadow

This drone does not spy nor harm / except blades of grass / and only if pushed.
(One unique printed photo on aluminium available at 36 x 28 cm, 2013)

Bao Strictcontor

In particular / at the end of day / is the bao strictcontor / subspecies Grohe / at its deadliest. / The bite can come / from the crane-shaped head / and also the circular mails / of the many tails / contain a stealthy poison / that at long stand-still / causes death of veterans. (80 x 40 x 25 cm, 2013)