/////D\\\\\: April 2011

Photographic depictions of Barcelona

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Un Coup De Des N'Abolira Le Hasard

Un Coup De Des N'Abolira Le Hasard, 1969
Marcel Broodthaers
Illustrated book with twenty photolithographs based on the poem by Stéphane Mallarmé

Original Text by Stéphane Mallarmé

Marcel Broodthaers notes on the original book pages 6-7

'A Throw of The Dice Will Never Abolish Chance' by Stéphane Mallarmé

Preface 1897

'I would prefer that this Note was not read, or, skimmed, was forgotten; it tells the knowledgeable reader little that is beyond his or her penetration: but may confuse the uninitiated, prior to their looking at the first words of the Poem, since the ensuing words, laid out as they are, lead on to the last, with no novelty except the spacing of the text. The ‘blanks’ indeed take on importance, at first glance; the versification demands them, as a surrounding silence, to the extent that a fragment, lyrical or of a few beats, occupies, in its midst, a third of the space of paper: I do not transgress the measure, only disperse it. The paper intervenes each time as an image, of itself, ends or begins once more, accepting a succession of others, and, since, as ever, it does nothing, of regular sonorous lines or verse – rather prismatic subdivisions of the Idea, the instant they appear, and as long as they last, in some precise intellectual performance, that is in variable positions, nearer to or further from the implicit guiding thread, because of the verisimilitude the text imposes. The literary value, if I am allowed to say so, of this print-less distance which mentally separates groups of words or words themselves, is to periodically accelerate or slow the movement, the scansion, the sequence even, given one’s simultaneous sight of the page: the latter taken as unity, as elsewhere the Verse is or perfect line. Imagination flowers and vanishes, swiftly, following the flow of the writing, round the fragmentary stations of a capitalised phrase introduced by and extended from the title. Everything takes place, in sections, by supposition; narrative is avoided. (...)'

Images © Marcel Broodthaers sourced from here
Text sourced from here

I came across this gem while visiting the Museum of Contemporary Art in Barcelona. While being at the Art Libris fair I've met Manuel Gimeno, an artist, who briefly introduced me to Mallarme's poetry of the white page. When I then saw Broodthaers's interpretation in the museum, I was quickly drawn into a cycle of ideas for my next book, which would hopefully be coming soon (in a months time.)

Art Libris Book Fair

Camberwell stall and wall 'cloud' installation for the Art Libris book fair in Barcelona. Our stall had massive success and the most charming comments by far.

Also, my book went down quite well - I've sold a copy. Thanks to all the people who gave me feedback and nice comments. I still have two more editions for sale at €120. Contact me if you would like to purchase one.

Project 24

Some experiments with broken plates

The composition

'To Break And' final piece

Project 24 was a poem consisting of 24 lines with 24 artists having 24hours to complete an interpretation of a line from this poem. My line was 'To Break And' so I decided to depict this by frottaging broken plastic plates, which I set into a composition on the floor.

http://project24hours.tumblr.com/Despina

http://project24hours.tumblr.com/

London Bridge

Central Gold Storage

Criminal Court

Depicting the feeling of historical landmarks of the City of London (square mile.) They are reproduced as lithographs in editions of four. Artist book coming soon (thursday.)