Elliot Nolan | The University of Sydney (original) (raw)
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Papers by Elliot Nolan
The victory of the Bolsheviks in the Russian Revolution in 1917 heralded not only important polit... more The victory of the Bolsheviks in the Russian Revolution in 1917 heralded not only important political and economic changes, but the redefining of art and the museum and their mutual place within the wider culture of the new Soviet state. Unlike in Europe, the public museum was an alien concept to the ordinary Russian. The ruling class had vast collections which were microcosmic cultural worlds; art museums in all but name, and inaccessible to the public. 1 When the dust began to settle after the revolution, decrees made by Lenin and his cultural commissar Anatoly Lunacharsky indicate an awareness of the need to preserve Russia's artistic heritage. 2 This acquisition had ideological considerations, principally due to the fact that much of the art was regarded to have been produced and disseminated by the ruling classes of Europe and the revolution had destroyed this cultural hierarchy in Russia. 3 It was ultimately associated with the 'vanquished classes', while the museums that housed these collections were conceptually divorced from the proletarian's working life, who did not have time for idle leisure: the vita contemplativa. 4 The abundance of public museums after the revolution created for the first time a 'museum public', 5 something 1 Priscilla Roosevelt, 'Soviet Culture after the Revolution', which politicians were eager to capitalise on, but many in the burgeoning Bolshevik state were ideologically opposed to the continued existence of the museum and these forms of art. 6
This thesis endeavours to explain the role of the quaestor in Late Roman law. It looks past the t... more This thesis endeavours to explain the role of the quaestor in Late Roman law. It looks past the traditional focus on the contribution of the quaestor in the content and style of the law, and instead, suggests that the quaestor was a combination of a facilitator of imperial law and a mediator between emperor and bureaucracy. Chapter One uses the careers of quaestors in order to position the quaestorship in Late Roman government, and using evidence from Cassiodorus, suggests that there were only minor differences with the quaestorship of the fourth and sixth centuries. It examines laws from the Codex Theodosianus in order to show the difference between a law that works and a law that does not using the language as a guide. It argues that the successful facilitation of law allowed the emperor to style himself in a particular way but not all quaestors were able to do this all the time.
Chapter Two shows two aspects of the quaestor as a mediator between emperor and bureaucracy. He was the emperor's 'confidant'. He not only gave legal advice but also had the power to 'restrain' the emperor against acts that threatened his position with his subjects and officials. The quaestor also acted as a 'policeman' against bureaucratic corruption and threats to imperial power. This chapter argues that the quaestor was the conduit between autocratic power a rising bureaucracy. The skilful quaestor attended to the needs of both without disempowering either to any great extent and survived with his career intact.
Ultimately, this paper argues that the quaestor was more than a contributor to the law. His style and use of language was the difference between good laws and bad laws. The quaestor the emperor's 'confidant' and 'policeman' are also two important aspects that need more attention from the scholarship.
Drafts by Elliot Nolan
Digital technology and the art museum: a case study 1 The use of interactive technology in the mo... more Digital technology and the art museum: a case study 1 The use of interactive technology in the modern art museum has empowered the visitor, transforming them from a mere browser and observer to an active participant. It is a mode of viewing that is public, and sees art as an experience rather than something to look at, and in doing so diminishes the audience's understanding and interpretation of art. 1 Moreover, digital technology has been used very effectively to control how we interact with art through changing the physical environment and the way in which art is 'hung'. In this essay, Gallery
The victory of the Bolsheviks in the Russian Revolution in 1917 heralded not only important polit... more The victory of the Bolsheviks in the Russian Revolution in 1917 heralded not only important political and economic changes, but the redefining of art and the museum and their mutual place within the wider culture of the new Soviet state. Unlike in Europe, the public museum was an alien concept to the ordinary Russian. The ruling class had vast collections which were microcosmic cultural worlds; art museums in all but name, and inaccessible to the public. 1 When the dust began to settle after the revolution, decrees made by Lenin and his cultural commissar Anatoly Lunacharsky indicate an awareness of the need to preserve Russia's artistic heritage. 2 This acquisition had ideological considerations, principally due to the fact that much of the art was regarded to have been produced and disseminated by the ruling classes of Europe and the revolution had destroyed this cultural hierarchy in Russia. 3 It was ultimately associated with the 'vanquished classes', while the museums that housed these collections were conceptually divorced from the proletarian's working life, who did not have time for idle leisure: the vita contemplativa. 4 The abundance of public museums after the revolution created for the first time a 'museum public', 5 something 1 Priscilla Roosevelt, 'Soviet Culture after the Revolution', which politicians were eager to capitalise on, but many in the burgeoning Bolshevik state were ideologically opposed to the continued existence of the museum and these forms of art. 6
This thesis endeavours to explain the role of the quaestor in Late Roman law. It looks past the t... more This thesis endeavours to explain the role of the quaestor in Late Roman law. It looks past the traditional focus on the contribution of the quaestor in the content and style of the law, and instead, suggests that the quaestor was a combination of a facilitator of imperial law and a mediator between emperor and bureaucracy. Chapter One uses the careers of quaestors in order to position the quaestorship in Late Roman government, and using evidence from Cassiodorus, suggests that there were only minor differences with the quaestorship of the fourth and sixth centuries. It examines laws from the Codex Theodosianus in order to show the difference between a law that works and a law that does not using the language as a guide. It argues that the successful facilitation of law allowed the emperor to style himself in a particular way but not all quaestors were able to do this all the time.
Chapter Two shows two aspects of the quaestor as a mediator between emperor and bureaucracy. He was the emperor's 'confidant'. He not only gave legal advice but also had the power to 'restrain' the emperor against acts that threatened his position with his subjects and officials. The quaestor also acted as a 'policeman' against bureaucratic corruption and threats to imperial power. This chapter argues that the quaestor was the conduit between autocratic power a rising bureaucracy. The skilful quaestor attended to the needs of both without disempowering either to any great extent and survived with his career intact.
Ultimately, this paper argues that the quaestor was more than a contributor to the law. His style and use of language was the difference between good laws and bad laws. The quaestor the emperor's 'confidant' and 'policeman' are also two important aspects that need more attention from the scholarship.
Digital technology and the art museum: a case study 1 The use of interactive technology in the mo... more Digital technology and the art museum: a case study 1 The use of interactive technology in the modern art museum has empowered the visitor, transforming them from a mere browser and observer to an active participant. It is a mode of viewing that is public, and sees art as an experience rather than something to look at, and in doing so diminishes the audience's understanding and interpretation of art. 1 Moreover, digital technology has been used very effectively to control how we interact with art through changing the physical environment and the way in which art is 'hung'. In this essay, Gallery