I looked out my window in the dark
At waves with diamond quills and combs of light
That arched their mackerel-backs and smacked the sand
In the moon’s drench, that straight enormous glaze,
And ships far off asleep, and Harbour-buoys
Tossing their fireballs wearily each to each,
And tried to hear your voice, but all I heard
Was a boat’s whistle, and the scraping squeal
Of seabirds’ voices far away, and bells,
Five bells. Five bells coldly ringing out.
Five bells.
This passage from the poem Five Bells by Australian poet Kenneth Slessor appears in the very first section of the book ‘Sydney’, by Delia Falconer.
The book has inspired the Damien Minton Gallery to stage a group exhibition of invited artists that explores in a visual manner the perennial discussion around what IS the city of Sydney.
We are also fascinated why the poem Five Bells by Kenneth Slessor is so engrained in the psyche of Sydney.
The poem may be the starting reference point of their work. We are also keen for the show to wrest away the ‘spin’ image of Sydney, that being brash money and real estate (which it is!). The images may be about the jacarandas in bloom, the eccentrics, the serendipitous nature of the place, its history, or, yes, its sheer beauty… or its deep melancholy.
We also invite you to attend the series of
readings, talks and performance.
SATURDAY 11 FEBRUARY 2012, 3 – 5PM
IN CONVERSATION WITH
GAIL JONES (author of the book ‘Five Bells’)
SATURDAY 18 FEBRUARY 2012, 3 – 5PM
FIONA MCGREGOR (author of the book ‘Indelible Ink’)
MARTIN EDMOND (author of the book ‘Dark Night, Walking with McCahon’)
SATURDAY 18 FEBRUARY 2012, 5PM - 6PM
Last day performance – FIVE BELLS REMIX
LAURIE SCOTT BAKER and RUARK LEWIS