02 Nov

Posted at 18:42h in Letters + Documents

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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01 Nov

Posted at 17:17h in Letters + Documents

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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27 Oct

Posted at 17:11h in Letters + Documents

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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23 Oct

Posted at 13:54h in Joseph Beuys Cards 1980 - 23rd January 1986, Joseph Beuys Cards 1980s, Joseph Beuys Postcards

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+. ...

20 Oct

Posted at 16:04h in Letters + Documents

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: "STRATHCLYDE REGION FOR NACHT-UND-NEBEL" and also a 3 x 2cm, b/w cinderella postal stamp designed by Finlay with an image of Joseph Stalin with the words "Strathclyde region" above and below and a fictitious price of 15p. Return address stamping on back. Slightly roughly opened. Interestingly the postal service has cancelled the cinderella stamps as well as the authentic stamp.

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16 Oct

Posted at 16:36h in Letters + Documents

25 x 20cm, original TLS on Little Sparta stationery dated 16.10.82.
A letter sent by Ian Hamilton Finlay to "Harry" - presumably Harry Warschamer - telling the latter about the Warrant Sale planned at Little Sparta by Strathclyde Region to recoup their claimed rates on November 2nd 1982.
The letter asks for Warschamer to come and "bring others if you can" presumably to help resist the sale.
The letter also tells of the first "ALL-LATIN, ALL ROMAN LETTERING DEMO" by the Saint-Just Vigilanties outside the Scottish Arts Council HQ on October 19th.
Finlay also claims that all of his calls are "being monitored by the Special Branch" and "by Wednesday we may all be in prIson."
The letter is signed in blue ink "Ian".
The letterhead here is worth notice; it has at the bottom the motto: "SPARTA LONGA, LETTUCE BREVIS" which roughly is "Sparta is long, lettuce is short". Finlay's farm was called "Little Sparta".

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09 Oct

Posted at 16:16h in Letters + Documents

25 x 20cm, original carbon copy on typing paper dated 9.10.82.
A letter sent by Ian Hamilton Finlay to the "Minister of the Arts" asking the latter to intervene in the ongoing dispute over the rating of Finlay's "Temple" building. That request however characteristically is not a polite one - Finlay refers to the Chairman of the Strathclyde Regional Finance Committee as a "Lollygarch" and after some verbal insults tells the Minister in uncertain terms that they should "remind Strathclyde Region that there is such a thing as law.". He then adds further insult to insult by writing" I would write to you in more moderate tones if you had ever shown the SLIGHEST (sic) CAPACITY to respond to a serious thought" following which Finlay then jokes that the mistake was the typewriter's - "fame has gone to its head"!
The P.S. is of interest also - Finlay describes his idea of a "civilised country" - little girls playing Mozart behind trees being high on his list it seems.
Signed in blue ink "Ian". This was a copy sent to a friend for reasons of disseminating information.

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26 Sep

Posted at 19:19h in Letters + Documents

Little Sparta: Finlay, 26th September, 1982 30 x 21cm, 1pp original carbon copy on typing paper.
A copy of a letter sent by Finlay to the Chairman of the Scottish Arts Council.
The letter thanks him sarcastically for a letter of "three sentences (one of them three words long)"
Like all barbarians , you are unable to see that there is a difference between using words and using language.
For too long we have hung on your words, expecting language.
Now you should be hung on your words, to save language.
Words may produce the arrestment of my work but they will never rise to language in a mind such as yours.
Mors consilio artium.
The latin translates to "Death to the Arts Council".
This copy of the original letter is signed by hand in red ink.

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