Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1983
19.7 x 12.7cm (closed size), 4pp gatefold. A mail art work by Finlay which opens up to read "SHOCK TROPES FOR LITTLE SPARTA" - the literary equivalent of the blitzkrieg, "Tropes" replacing "Troops".
This example was mailed by Finlay to Graeme Murray his then gallerist, Franked and stamped but VG+.
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Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1983
15.4 x 16.2cm, 1pp artist card with a drawing of the Temple of Apollo which was the disputed building in the dispute with Strathclyde Region. The facade has the carved text: "TO APOLLO/HIS MUSIC/HIS MISSILES/HIS MUSES". The drawing is by Nicholas Sloan. Murray renames this card "Temple of Apollo Facade" but the title should really be in Italian as per the legend on the card.VG+.
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Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, n.d. c. 1982.
21 x 18cm, 1pp printed letterhead - green on grey. Finlay created a number of different stationery for Little Sparta and used them (as far as we can tell) indiscriminately for his correspondence. This unused example has across the top "PAN incorporating PICK/Scociety of Scottish Garden Poets". And at the bottom "The PICK is mightier than the PEN". Fine....
Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, n.d. 14.8 x 14.8cm, red on white unused jam pot label from the edition of 15 small jars. The text is a quote from Saint-Just relating to the large scale festivals to celebrate the Cult of the Supreme Being during the Terror of the French Revolution. There were two variant printings of this item - one with a blue colour, and the other red. This is the former. Fine condition. Not in Murray....
Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, n.d. 14.8 x 14.8cm, red on white unused jam pot label from the edition of 15 small jars. The text is a quote from Saint-Just relating to the large scale festivals to celebrate the Cult of the Supreme Being during the Terror of the French Revolution. There were two variant printings of this item - one with a blue colour, and the other red. This is the latter. Fine condition. Not in Murray....
Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1983
20.6 x 12.5cm, 1pp, black and blue on white card. The "flute" is created by the letters C and U in a repeating series of the words ICE and DUST in a vertical line such as the letters line up. Appended notes explain that Saint-Just owned an ivory flute and the words ICE and Dust come from contemporary revolutionary quotations. VG+.
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Dusseldorf: Galerie Schmela, 1983
10.5 x 15cm, 2pp announcement card with a reproduced Beuys' drawing in b/w on the front. Verso gallery details. A example stamped "Presse 11.00 uhr" on the back in red ink else 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 Chief Executive for Strathclyde Region.
The letter informs the Chief Executive that the works that were removed by the Sheriff Officer were not entirely Finlay's property, but part owned by an US institution.
Finlay raises the possibility that the US might invade Scotland from the Clyde bases to regain their property (an amusing canard) and then rants agains the Region but in a witty and amusing manner.
This is one of four such letters written on the same day by Finlay to various bodies. He was on a roll. Each (see other entries in this section) is a funny and often drole piece of trolling (before the word trolling was invented for this purpose).
Copies of the letter are noted as having been sent to Andrew Brown, Ian Gardner, Wadsworth Atheneum and Sol Lewitt (Finlay claims he had part ownership of the "stolen" works.
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30 x 21cm, 1pp original carbon copy on typing paper.
A copy of a letter sent by Finlay to the Secretary of State for Scotland.
The letter informs him about the "theft" of the works by the Sheriff Officer from Little Sparta. Finlay announces that the garden at Little Sparta is now closed because of the Region's actions. he also points out that some of the works taken were part owned by other institutions who were now considering legal action against Christie's and the Region to recover their property. Finlay says that that is wrong - that the US institutions should really be consulting the Pentagon. Finlay tells the SOS that he will now defend himself by any means necessary including should it be necessary "sleeping in our Wellies".
In conclusion Finlay accuses the SOS of licensing a "rabble: and calling it a "Region", "You have gone too far.".
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30 x 21cm, 1pp original carbon copy on typing paper. A copy of a letter sent by Finlay to the Cultural Attache at the American Embassy in London.
The letter informs them that several works on loan to Little Sparta from the Sol Lewitt Collection in the Wadsworth Atheneum had been "stolen by officers of Strathclyde Region". The works Finlay believes were then "handed to the art dealer's Christie's. This is not the branch of Christie's which rumour has linked with the Mafia." Finlay states he asked for the works back but Christie's refused.
Finlay being Finlay reported the "theft" to the police who "made it clear to me that they were unlikely to take action." Other institutions also refused help, Finlay states that the Sheriff Officer Alexander Walker "though he prefers to be known as Sandy" was the main "robber" and that Walker is known to be leaving the country "today".
Finlay does not actually ask the Embassy to take any action - but it is inferred as a theft against an US establishment. The letter is really a bit of fun which Finlay can use later for press attention. Well worth reading.
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Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1983
13.3 x 15.6cm, 1pp black and red on white artist's card with a photograph by John Stathatos. The image is of the table in the Garden Temple on the day Strathclyde Region removed candlesticks TERROT and VIRTUE from Finlay Garden Temple as a poinding ac tion to regain the money they claimed they were owed for unpaid rates. the posed photograph also has a copy of a sheet entitled "La liberte ou la mort 1989" - a study of the rhetoric of the French poet Roche. The title in MUrray's catalogue Raisonne is "LIBERTY, TERROR & VIRTUE" but that is perhaps not correct. VG+.
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Eindhoven: Stedelijk van Abbemuseum, 1983 16.5 x 16.5 x 16.5cm, cubic artists’ book content of 924pp. Self cover. Texts by James Lee Byars and Piet de Jonghe. Some b/w illustrations of works., The famous artist’s book issued in 500 copies on the occasion of the exhibition held at the Stedelijk van Abbemuseum. VG+. ...