Pescara/Bonn: FIU/Galerie Klein, 1982
21 x 30cm, 2pp - large format announcement for the "Defence of Nature" event with a colour image of a banner with the event title on it being held up in a vineyard while volunteers pick grapes. Verso event and gallery details in red and black. VG+.
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30 x 21cm, 1pp original carbon copy on typing paper. A copy of a letter sent by Finlay to the publishing house Thames and Hudson.
Finlay claims that Thames and Hudson consider him to be anti-semite. He identifies this having arisen from Finlay submitting a book on Albert Speer's Spandau garden for publication. Finlay claims the publisher's stance is because of their "anti-Speerism" and Finlay says that recently deceased Albert Speer was a "dear friend". Finlay then posits a long and detailed argument that the publishers had entered the debate by stressing their jewishness when he had not. Finlay then attacks specifically Nikos Stangos who was an employee of T&H. Finlay claims he was initially enthusiastic about the Speer book then changed his mind suddenly. He is charged with acting unprofessionally and altering his position only after T&H rejected Finlay publicly.
Finally Finlay threatens legal action.
This is a difficult letter as Finlay's argument is a sophisticated one - on the surface attacking jewishness is evidence of being anti-semite but Finlay argues he only raised T&H jewish roots after they brought the public's attention to it and therefore it was an area of debate that was legitimate. The letter is borderline sophistry - it is clear that Finlay was not anti-semitic or nazi - but his willingness to defend people near to the National Socialist Party like Speer opened him up to attack. Some of those attacks were very biased and unfair (one can see deliberate misrepresentation in Catherine Millet for instance) but it is perhaps understandable how some might misunderstand Finlay's position.
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Gelsenkirchen: FIU, n.d. (1982)
115 x 10.5cm, full colour artist's postcard issued by the Free International University with an image of the golden hare that Beuys made out of a melted-down crown during a public aktion in Kassel Documenta in 1982 to help raise funds for his 7000 Eichen project. VG+.
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25 x 20cm, original carbon copy on typing paper. A letter sent by Finlay to members of the press "drawing their attention to the third and fifth paragraphs of the enclosed letter" .
This was the covering letter that accompanied a xerox letter from the Director of the Kroller Muller Museum in the Netherlands which gave support to Finlay (see separate listing in this section of the collection). Finlay points out that if an "poet has a Sacred Grove in Holland, the Region can 'take at face value his assertion that his garden temple is a spiritual building.'"
Finlay also quotes Priscus of Panium's History of His Own Times on the moral legitimacy of constitutions.
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Little Sparta: Finlay, n.d. (c. 1982)
Standard hand addressed DL manilla postal envelope to Harry Warschauer. Notable for the black rubber stamp impression added by Finlay to the front: "ROCKY ITHAKA". Return address stamping on back. Slightly roughly opened.
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Little Sparta: Finlay, franked: November 1982)
Standard hand addressed DL manilla postal envelope to Harry Warschauer. Notable for the black rubber stamp impression added by Finlay to the front: "STRATHCLYDE REGION FOR NACHT UND NEBEL" and cinderella stamp showing Joseph Stalin and the words "Strathclyde Region". The mailing process has franked the cinderella stamp! . Return address stamping on back. Slightly roughly opened.
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NYC: John GIbson Gallery, 1982
10.3 x 15.3cm, 1pp typographical invitation card reproduced from a hand-written text (by John Gibson who often used his left hand as here and wrote the text upside down to create an unusual effect) for the exhibition "Felt Multiple". VG+.
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Little Sparta: Finlay, 1982
30 x 21cm, 2pp vintage xerox copy (on yellow paper) of a letter sent by Finlay to the then Minister of the Arts.
As often from Finlay bitterly biting letter to the Minister firstly complaining that he did not reply to letters. FInlay complains that the legally instituted Scottish Arts Council refuse to advise Strathclyde Region whether Finlay's disputed building is a temple or not.
Finlay notes that the SAC suggested that a committee should perhaps run Little Sparta rather than Finlay - Finlay in turn here suggests that "We, for our part, are entirely willing to declare ourselves a committee and run the SAC."
Finlay says that he does not expect a response to this letter but just wants to put on record his opposition to a proposed meeting between the region and the SAC. He also noted that the SAC refuses to talk to him unless through a solicitor because he had previously complained to the Arts Minister about their behaviour.
Finally Finlay writes: "The state is one of total stupidity and total complacency. The need is for a Revolution."
A copy of the original circulated to friends for the purpose of information as was Finlay's habit at this time.
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Little Sparta: Finlay, 1982
30 x 21cm, 2pp vintage xerox copy (on yellow paper) of a letter sent by Finlay to Alexander Walker, Strathclyde region's Sheriff Officer.
A bitterly sarcastic letter to Walker liking the latter's threat of a Warrant Sale to a nuclear threat and suggesting that they were determined to get their money by a "kind of extortion with menaces".
Finlay accuses him of cowardice - running away when it was clear there was more than "six sad Scotch standing by a nasty, brutish, short auction".
Finlay after much further and witty opprobrium towards the poor bureaucrat, argues that the law is being abused, that it's application is flexible and could easily be stopped if the Region wanted and hinting at wanting a reconciliation (which given the abuse in the letter seems hardly likely to be agreed upon.)
A copy of the original circulated to friends for the purpose of information as was Finlay's habit at this time.
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NYC: John Gibson Gallery, 1982
10.5 x 15cm, 2pp. Announcement card with a b/w image of three Beuys' felt suits on the front. A unmailed example. VG+.
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Otterlo: Kroller Muller Museum, 1982
30 x 21cm, 1pp vintage xerox copy of a letter sent from the Director of the Kroller Muller Museum expressing support for Finlay after the issue of a warrant for the arrestment of works of art from Little Sparta. The Director indicates that he thinks such a sale will "endanger the existence" of Finlay's garden and calls on the garden to be "kept and protected as (Finlay's major opus".
The letter offers support by the purchase of a work to a maximum of £2000.
Circulated to friends of Little Sparta and the press as part of Finlay's PR campaign against the Regional Council.
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Fabriano, Galleria La Virgola, 1982 21 x 15cm., 2pp announcement card for an exhibition of works, multiples and graphics under the heading of the Difesa della natura" (defence of nature) which Beuys regularly used as a slogan to cover his work in Italy where he increasingly tried to stress the need for a less industrial form of farming and production. Front of the card has a portrait of Beuys in b/w by Buby Durini taken from behind while Beuys is in long fur coat and hat looking at the landscape. VG+. ...