"Visit the Bardo Museum, housed in an old palace. It is an excellent National museum brimming with treasures of Tunisian history dominated by the Punic, Roman and Christian periods and is said to house one of the best collections of Roman/Byzantine mosaics anywhere".
From my diary - the Bardo museum is undergoing renovation so only the mosiacs open, however, these just blew me away. One was of a hand maiden holding up a mirror in which her mistress' face was reflected with great artistry.
It reminded me of Miss Jones' decorations for the hall at Kenilworth Grammar School in the 1960s - roundells then Byzantine saints etc which she got us to fill in with "mosaic" squares. As I remember these were absolutely stunning and fitted into the hall with its long floor to ceiling windows exceptionally well. Maybe this was the start of my love for mosiacs?
"Leaving the capital this afternoon, we drive to Le Kef, via the Roman settlement of Dougga. This magnificent Roman city is perched on a plateau, surrounded by fertile land fed by abundant springs. the capitol, dedicated to Jupiter, Juno and Minvera in 166AD is arguably the most beautiful Roman monument in North Africa".
Dougga very impressive. Baths, amphitheatre, cisterns, houses etc and the streets paved with beautifully shaped blocks.
To Le Kef - my room characterised by leaks from shower, toilet and wash hand basin so the bedroom floor was swimming with water. The landlord came and looked at it and brought me a new floor mat but then our guide swopped with me which was kind of him. I quite like Tunisia - nice people, very green country but the food is not as nice as Morocco (but I'm biased!) A lot of men were wearing the burnoose (I looked it up - A burnous (also spelled burnoose, or bournous; from the Berber and Maghribi Arab. burnus) is a long cloak of coarse woollen fabric with a hood, usually white in color, worn by Berbers and the Arabs throughout North Africa) and there were women uncloaked in the streets. Quite a liberal Muslim country. Interesting to hear the guide (I do know his name but I am reluctant to use it on a public forum as I am reluctant to take photographs of the local people without their permission) .... interesting to hear the guide speak of Muslim's respect for other religions and people.
Monday, 6 February 2012
Arab Spring - Additional Research
I wanted to check on the iplayer for the BBC if there were any programmes I could review about the history of the conflict between Islam and Christianity and lo and behold there was a series called The Crusades presented by Dr Thomas Asbridge - 1/3 Traces the 1st Crusade and was an excellent introduction to the period Programme One - The Crusades. I'll be checking out the other two programmes over the next few days but of course today the news is of Syria and the effect that the Russian and Chinese veto of UN action has had on the population.
Sunday, 5 February 2012
Day 1 - 18 December 2010
Carthage to Cairo - trip with Explore!
Looking at ancient Roman sites (this has been a bit of a theme with me over the past few years) + with the chance to see WW2 battlefields like el Alamein and Tobruk where my dad was during the Desert Campaign). At this point it was impossible to go to Libya unless it was with a tour group.
Outline from the Trip Notes: " ... some of the most mportant sites of the ancient world, travelling in the footsteps of the Phoenicians, Romans, Greeks and Egyptians as we cross three countries and untold civilizations, learning more about people and events that have shaped history as we go.
Day 1 - the metro to the magnificent ruins of Carthage which was founded about 814BC by the Phoenician Queen Dido. Carthage grew to be the most important and powerful trading centre on the Mediterranean and in the known world. The mighty fleet of hundreds of armed ships was an efficient deterrent against invaders for many centuries and its geographical situation as the gateway to Africa, made it a crucial strategic asset, which the Romans fought hard to attain. After the 3rd and final Punic war the Romans sacked Carthage in 146BC, destroyed much of the old town and set about constructing the Pro-Consular capital of Africa from the debris".
Extracts from my diary:
A tour round Carthage - the skill of the Phoenician's miliary harbour was amazing. (Check out Peter Connolly re: Punic Phoenician trireme sheds).
C just north of Tunis is quite spread out and is built over by quite alot of posh houses. Saw the Antonine Baths etc. Very pleasant and knowledgeable guide.
By the sea. Sun quite nice but it is not warm here. Just got out of UK in time - whilst I was at Heathrow the flights to Amsterdam were cx and we see from the news that Britian is once again in the grip of snow and that we were quite lucky to get out. PM caught the train to a lovely (albeit quite touristy) seaside village Sidi Bou Said in white and cobalt blue (bougainvillaea etc) - I was impressed by the mixture of people on the train from all sorts of areas. Teenagers like those everywhere trying to impress the girls and show off - much laughter all round from the assorted passengers over their French accents! We went into a traditional house - very large and interesting. Evening at a reasonably boring restaurant (NB to self - don't have a starter AND couscous). On way home saw some traditional folk dancing in front of the Arts & Crafts Theatre - apparently there's a festival on .... police pushing and shoving - as they do ....
(NB I might have a problem uploading all the images I want to .. as I made them high res - he ho! Technology eh?)
Looking at ancient Roman sites (this has been a bit of a theme with me over the past few years) + with the chance to see WW2 battlefields like el Alamein and Tobruk where my dad was during the Desert Campaign). At this point it was impossible to go to Libya unless it was with a tour group.
Outline from the Trip Notes: " ... some of the most mportant sites of the ancient world, travelling in the footsteps of the Phoenicians, Romans, Greeks and Egyptians as we cross three countries and untold civilizations, learning more about people and events that have shaped history as we go.
Day 1 - the metro to the magnificent ruins of Carthage which was founded about 814BC by the Phoenician Queen Dido. Carthage grew to be the most important and powerful trading centre on the Mediterranean and in the known world. The mighty fleet of hundreds of armed ships was an efficient deterrent against invaders for many centuries and its geographical situation as the gateway to Africa, made it a crucial strategic asset, which the Romans fought hard to attain. After the 3rd and final Punic war the Romans sacked Carthage in 146BC, destroyed much of the old town and set about constructing the Pro-Consular capital of Africa from the debris".
Extracts from my diary:
A tour round Carthage - the skill of the Phoenician's miliary harbour was amazing. (Check out Peter Connolly re: Punic Phoenician trireme sheds).
C just north of Tunis is quite spread out and is built over by quite alot of posh houses. Saw the Antonine Baths etc. Very pleasant and knowledgeable guide.
By the sea. Sun quite nice but it is not warm here. Just got out of UK in time - whilst I was at Heathrow the flights to Amsterdam were cx and we see from the news that Britian is once again in the grip of snow and that we were quite lucky to get out. PM caught the train to a lovely (albeit quite touristy) seaside village Sidi Bou Said in white and cobalt blue (bougainvillaea etc) - I was impressed by the mixture of people on the train from all sorts of areas. Teenagers like those everywhere trying to impress the girls and show off - much laughter all round from the assorted passengers over their French accents! We went into a traditional house - very large and interesting. Evening at a reasonably boring restaurant (NB to self - don't have a starter AND couscous). On way home saw some traditional folk dancing in front of the Arts & Crafts Theatre - apparently there's a festival on .... police pushing and shoving - as they do ....
(NB I might have a problem uploading all the images I want to .. as I made them high res - he ho! Technology eh?)
Research for Arab Spring Project
I have started to get my photographs together whilst working out how I can get my laptop (I've transferred everything to this from my old desk computer which has ground to a halt). I'm very excited about this project as I can see a number of routes:
Another exhibition was the Leonardo Prints at BMAG - A map of the Pontine Marshes c1515 made of pen & ink, wash, blue bodycolour over black chalk.
Things I need to do:
Sort out photographs and scanning process
Transcribe my diaries from last year
Make a map outlining the journey
Research on the origins of the Arab Spring
Collagraph and Monoprints of key points
As I said - I am quite excited ....
- Photographs
- Journeys - a quote from the Grayson Perry exhibition "the journey has become a tired metaphor of reality television describing a transformative experience". Diary
- Faith, art, calligraphy and science (Islamic art at BM)
- "To God belongs the East and the West" Qu'ran 2:115
- Books
- Combination of my own experience and news headlines.
- Maps (Grayson Perry) "we trust maps. Maps are meant to be a trustworthy diagram of reality.
- Prints of Relicts
Another exhibition was the Leonardo Prints at BMAG - A map of the Pontine Marshes c1515 made of pen & ink, wash, blue bodycolour over black chalk.
Things I need to do:
Sort out photographs and scanning process
Transcribe my diaries from last year
Make a map outlining the journey
Research on the origins of the Arab Spring
Collagraph and Monoprints of key points
As I said - I am quite excited ....
Lost in Lace
This is a superb exhibition at the Gas Hall of BMAG - I originally went in Nov then again in Feb. The weblink is Lost in Lace Exhibition
Saturday, 4 February 2012
Negotiated Project - New Direction
This week I went to London with my friend Catherine who was most helpful in helping me decide on the direction for my negotiated project. This discussion was generated by our exhibitions - firstly the Royal Manuscripts - The Genius of Illumination at the British Library. Exhibition Guide. This was an outstanding overview of the quality of handwritten books associated with royalty from between the 8th and 16 centuries. The over 150 richly decorated books are drawn principally from the Old Royal library that was given to the nation in 1757 by George II. We not only found the quality of the books and their artistry (especially those produced in Bruges in the 15th century for Edward IV) amazing but also the range of subjects covered - from the lives of the saints, moral treatises and warfare manuals to bestiaries and literary, cultural and social texts.
As I have been undertaking some calligraphy 'classes' at The Pen Room in Birmingham I was also able to appreciate the hours of work undertaken by the copists. I don't know if I've mentioned the new bible which was partially handwritten by Susan Hufton whom I meet a West Dean. Well worth a look - St John's Bible
We then walked down to the British Museum where we attended a free talk on Islamic Art, followed by the Grayson Perry - Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman exhibition.
Also featured at the BM was an exhibition entitled Hajj journey to the heart of Islam in partnership with the King Abdulaziz Public Library in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Our discussions centred round my visit to North Africa last year - Tunisia, Libya and Egypt just before the start of the Arab Spring.
This is quite an excited prospect and so I am going to start to do some research on the process as well as get out my photographs and notes from last year.
As I have been undertaking some calligraphy 'classes' at The Pen Room in Birmingham I was also able to appreciate the hours of work undertaken by the copists. I don't know if I've mentioned the new bible which was partially handwritten by Susan Hufton whom I meet a West Dean. Well worth a look - St John's Bible
We then walked down to the British Museum where we attended a free talk on Islamic Art, followed by the Grayson Perry - Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman exhibition.
Also featured at the BM was an exhibition entitled Hajj journey to the heart of Islam in partnership with the King Abdulaziz Public Library in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Our discussions centred round my visit to North Africa last year - Tunisia, Libya and Egypt just before the start of the Arab Spring.
This is quite an excited prospect and so I am going to start to do some research on the process as well as get out my photographs and notes from last year.
Friday, 3 February 2012
Australia and back
It's been quite an interesting couple of months - I went to Australia (Adelaide) via Hong Kong. In Auz I stayed with my family and did all sorts of things to do with them. A small bit of sketching and pastels as we were so busy with packing for a house move, Christmas and New Year, parties and visiting friends, a visit to Coffin Bay on holiday and in general having a great time.
Sadly during my visit my mother in law Elsie died (2 Jan) at the age of 90 after five years of declining health. When I returned, it was to the funeral and interrment arrangements and clearing her flat with my lovely sister in law Connie (who came over from Sydney).
Sadly during my visit my mother in law Elsie died (2 Jan) at the age of 90 after five years of declining health. When I returned, it was to the funeral and interrment arrangements and clearing her flat with my lovely sister in law Connie (who came over from Sydney).
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