Ancient Impulses

Artist: Svinko.


"From what I have said of the Natives of New Holland they may appear to be some of the most wretched people on Earth, but in reality they are far more happier than we Europeans; being wholly unacquainted not only with the superfluous but the the ncessary Consequences so much sought after in Europe, they are happy in not knowing the use of them."
Captain James Cook


"Thus live those, I had almost said happy, people, content with little, nay, almost nothing; far enough removed from anxieties attending upon riches, or even the possession of what Europeans call common necessities..."
Joseph Banks


Monday I drove to Tambar Springs six hours out of Sydney, Tuesday I caught the train back from Gunnedah to Sydney, Wednesday I flew to Yerranderie in the centre of the Blue Mountains world heritage and this morning I have to be in Newcastle by 9.30 for a court case of some alleged idiot. It's all a bit much. Need to stop and get the shopping done; that sort of thing.

What was it all about, this drift through old houses? In these old terraces scattered across the hills of Sydney town, founded 235 years ago by astonishing expeditions from the other side of the world. The rooms that we had been caught in; not smothered then, vibrant with ideas; always up before dawn; my mind stretching across the suburb so I could feel every thing; as the sun rose over the houses. "Try to be more normal son. Nobody knew what it was that haunted Bruce. His rooms smelt of claggy damp. There was no room for warmth, love, friendship. His body seemed to hang strangely upon him, as if a tailor had not quite sewed his mind in well enough.

"Every trip he dropped held the promise of a universal answer but in the end nothing was revealed to him, his personality filed down into singularity. We called out for her to come back but she never even turned her head, although she must have heard us, we yelled so loud. Well, there goes another one... We had many good times, the black coffee morning rice bubbles hangovers happiness embarrassment finite laughter red wine relatives who never understood friends who tried to dictate the pattern of our lives. His fingers trembled nervous tense love splintered through the wintry light... I don't know what is going on here, but surely it can't be legal."

These were crazy impulses and distorted days. Bits and pieces of stories were stuck all over the walls; and these old terraces were like rats nests; the walls dirty; the floors this cheap cane matting that collected dirt was everywhere because it was cheaper than carpet. Common sense did not prevail. I have no idea why I think back to these houses; now, 30 or more years later. I was always writing, but much of it made little sense. Most of it was unpublishable. Fluidity and contempt; those were the days when I felt most alive; most deranged; and the garbled science fiction stories that I used to write back then; who could have known where it would all lead.

Thirty years and only a few kilometres away; the world has changed utterly. Those dazed days are gone and more ordered days are upon us. I stuck up thousands of words around the rooms; trying to follow chaotic story lines; to cohere a ramble into a story. Melancholic, eccentric, fun loving, the tribe's story teller; these ancient impulses have gone now; the tribe has gone now. In a professional, glossy age; all that chaos, all the great characters who died; it's all vanished as if it had never been.

THE BIGGER STORY:

PM condemns 'Jesus bin Laden' artwork
Thursday Aug 30 05:00 AEST
By ninemsn staff

Prime Minister John Howard has condemned two entries in Australia's top religious art competition because they appear to ridicule Christianity.

A holographic image that combines Osama bin Laden and Jesus Christ, and a statue of the Virgin Mary wearing a Muslim burqa have both been submitted as contenders for the Blake Prize.

Mr Howard yesterday joined several politicians and church leaders in speaking out against the artworks.