Giorgio de Chirico and the idea of enigmatic imagery : the innocence of becoming

My paintings emerge from within a context best explained by reference to Nietzsche's perspectivism. That is an intellectual attitude that deprivileges rationalism and accommodates scepticism or unknowing as an acceptable starting point From this standpoint art/language can be seen as being in a state of becoming rather than as representing a state of being. This thesis aims to demonstrate, not only by a philosophical encounter with Giorgio de Chirico's work: ie. his use of myth, his Nietzschean perspectivism and his enigmatic interpretation of figuration, that the most helpful context and understanding of my work can be realied. De Chirico's art, like Nietzsche's philosophy seeks in its processes to explore the possible unity of Dionysian aesthetic force with the Apollonian. Neither Nietzsche nor de Chirico considered within a post-Socratic world that this unity was realizable. Nevertheless they both share in their respective art forms a need to represent the relentless struggle to enact the disjunction of the two aesthetic forces in a secular world. The artist’s enigmatic imagery is characterized by a consideration of appearance and reality and it is for this reason that the work was selected as a model for investigating the nature of enigma. His use of seemingly straightforward, ordinary images suggests a sense of accessibility, yet at the same time they are irreducible to knowing and my own image-making was greatly expanded by investigating these concerns. I am not arguing that de Chirico was influenced by Nietzsche but instead that Nietzsche's philosophical point of view and his use of poetic language to express these views lay in discovering the qualities and substance of the Dionysian spirit As well as working within a Nietzschean world-view set out in The Birth of Tragedy, de Chirico has also drawn on the Italian unification, specifically the Risorgimento and the lineage of these political and mythical figures were endemic to his art and they interface the with his use of the Apollonian-Dionysian disunity first explored by Nietzsche. The focus of the exegesis will be to present the poetic and philosophical use made of the latter in de Chirico’s art It is anticipated that this philosophical encounter with the aesthetic, social and political world of de Chirico will, not only assist in interpreting his life's work anew, but will also provide a context in which my paintings of enigma might be interpreted.

Antidepressants and suicidal thought

The association of antidepressants with suicidal thought in people aged up to 25 year is a thorny issue. Balancing risk with benefit must always be at the core of any decision to treat and when the risk is an increased risk of suicide then a balanced decision can be difficult to make. Some clinicians who have been successfully treating patients using antidepressants have felt skepticism with these studies, finding them to be not reflective of their personal clinical experience. It may be wondered by some whether highlighting the link between suicidal thoughts and antidepressants may paradoxically lead to an increase in suicide by reducing the number of cases treated, however there is no evidence that this has occurred.

The association between antidepressants and suicidal thought may be unpalatable, but as with all new research the only way it can be judged is by the evidence to support it. The weight of evidence to demonstrate the association between antidepressants and suicidal thought in young people is convincing although the risk is low, estimated at one case of emerging suicidal ideation or suicide attempt for every 143 pediatric patients treated [1]. This risk is too low to displace antidepressants as the first line of treatment for depression but is too high a risk to be ignored. The risk is also too low to be recognized based on clinical experience alone as it is low enough to be imperceptible amongst suicides which occur due to depressive illness independent of antidepressant treatment. Only large studies are sufficiently powered to detect suicidal thought associated with antidepressant treatment. Clearly further studies would be helpful, especially if they can help characterize those at greatest risk. This is why the study by Lucy Goldsmith and Joanna Moncrieff in this issue of Current Drug Safety is an important step towards improving our understanding of antidepressant safety. These researchers find a link between increased suicidal impulses and emotional blunting and emotional instability.

Treating clinicians are urged to monitor for risk of suicide after initiation of antidepressant treatment, typically more frequently for the first four weeks of treatment and as indicated thereafter. However, if there is no history of suicidal thought or attempt and the patient does not admit to suicidal thought, suicidality may be missed by the treating clinician, ending in tragedy. Studies that provide new insights into this serious problem may lead to improvements in the effectiveness of monitoring patients for suicide risk, ultimately leading to better outcomes for patients.

'Murderous coppers': police, industrial disputes and the 1929 Rothbury shootings

Norman Brown, a coalminer engaged in picketing the Rothbury colliery, was shot dead by police in 1929. The Rothbury incident and the police suppression which followed became part of both union folklore and the personal legend of one police officer, William John MacKay, later New South Wales Police Commissioner. This article probes beneath the layers of myth that surround Rothbury and argues that the initial tragedy was largely the result of police incompetence, and that MacKay’s association with the shooting is deeply ironic. The more measured police actions that followed the shootings were Mackay’s responsibility, however, and they had damaging long-term consequences.

From cholera outbreaks to pandemics : the role of poverty and inequality

Cholera and other diarrheal diseases are the second leading cause of death among the poor globally. The tragedy of this statistic is that it need not be the case. Unlike many afflictions, the impact of cholera can be greatly reduced, if not eliminated, through the provision of clean water services. This begs the question of why such provision is absent in much of the world. It is our contention that the provision of clean water services is an increasing function of both a country's level of income and income equality. We test these hypotheses by analyzing 1,032 annual observations arising from 55 relatively poor countries between the years 1980 and 2002. In the primary part of the analysis, we find that providing clean water is, as predicted, an increasing function of income and equality. Following this, and consistent with the existing epidemiological research on cholera, we find that both the numbers of cases and deaths resulting from a given cholera outbreak are strongly and negatively related to the provision of clean water.

The politics of gendered emotions : disrupting men's emotional investment in privilege

This paper explores the implications of the neglect of emotions in critical masculinity studies and profeminist masculinity politics. This neglect in part results from feminist and profeminist critiques of the literature on emotional inexpressiveness as a tragedy for men that ignores male privilege and men's social power. To focus on men's emotions is seen by some profeminist commentators as psychologising men at the expense of sociological understandings of men's social power. However, in neglecting the place of emotions in men's lives, critical masculinity studies has overlooked the ways in which men's emotional attachment to privilege can perpetuate oppressive gender relations and male violence against women. By exploring men's emotional investment in unequal gender relations, the article outlines ways in which emotions can also be used as a catalyst to disrupt men's attachment to male privilege.

‘It would be okay if they came through the proper channels’: community perceptions and attitudes toward asylum seekers in Australia

Australia's humanitarian programme contributes to UNHCR's global resettlement programme and enhances Australia's international humanitarian reputation. However, as the recent tragedy on Christmas Island has shown, the arrival of asylum seekers by boat continues to stimulate debate, discussion and reaction from the Australian public and the Australian media. In this study, we used a mixed methods community survey to understand community perceptions and attitudes relating to asylum seekers. We found that while personal contact with asylum seekers was important when forming opinions about this group of immigrants, for the majority of respondents, attitudes and opinions towards asylum seekers were more influenced by the interplay between traditional Australian values and norms, the way that these norms appeared to be threatened by asylum seekers, and the way that these threats were reinforced both in media and political rhetoric.

Manifesto of a defeated poet

This feature-length experimental film is the result of an intimate collaboration between Bosnian filmmaker/poet/painter/musician/performace artist Saidin Salkic (On Karasevdah: Srebrenica Blues, 2007 & Konvent 2010) and veteran Australian experimental filmmaker and film educator John Cumming (Obsession, Recognition & Sabotage 1985-87, First time Tragedy Second Tome Farce, 1989, The Hollow Centre 1999). Created over a period of four years it draws on the traditions and possibilities of improvisation – in cinematography, experimental cinema, dance, music and performance – with moments of intensity and repose, fluidity and halting re-composure. Cumming’s camera and Salkic’s movement work in front of it are at once expressionistic and in dialectical tension as are Salkic’s poetry, his haunting improvisations on piano and melodica and Cumming’s industrial soundscapes. SYNOPSIS: In the midst of fascist-capitalist madness, the Foreigner (a poet/dancer with sun on his palms and blood from his dreams on his face) hovers in neon twilight with last whispers of sanity on his lips, guarding and protecting the world – forever. REVIEW: ‘Full of mystery and beauty, punctuated by strange eruptions of silent cinema, of Chaplin, of film history made personal … not the film of a dance but a dance itself around pure presence … something unique and precious.’ Maximilian Le Cain, http://lecain.blogspot.com.au/2015/11/a-few-reflections-on-manifesto-of.html

Albert Camus' hellenic heart, between Saint Augustine and Hegel

This chapter situates Camus' Hellenism in the context of other French modernists in literature. It examines Camus' youthful Hellenism, rooted in his own experiences growing up in French Algeria. It then examines the philosophical dimensions of his defence of classical mesure, in the context of the 20th century European disaster. It also looks at his reading of Greek tragedy, and his key contrast of Prometheus as rebel, with Satan.