Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1977
15 x 10.4cm, 2pp. A drawing by Michael Harvey of a gravestone with the title German text - Beware! Mines - and a skull and crossbones motif, it is covered in snow. This is a reference to the German attack on Russia which stumbled badly due to poor supply but also because of the vicious Russian weather. Much like Napolean's army before them, many died due to the cold conditions as they retreated back to their homelands. VG+.
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Koln: Konig, n.d. (c. 1997) 10.5 x 15cm, 2pp postcard with the famous image of Beuys smiling at Byars who has his entire face covered with a coloured scarf. Fine. ...
Eindhoven: Van Abbemuseum, 1977 8 x 13cm, Piece of white silk with “James Lee Byars” printed in black in the middle enclosed in white paper envelope printed “13 MAART 13.30 UUR / VAN ABBEMUSEUM EINDHOVEN” to flap. A rather lovely announcement object which may be regarded as a Byars’ edition. Fine. ...
Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1977
12 x 9cm, 1pp. A list of seven painters are shown on a "in Memoriam" card. The first five of those named have had their Christian names changed to "Robert" whereas the last two - Robert Colquhoun and Robert MacBryde - have retained their real names ie Robert.
Finlay had met Colquhoun and Macbryde at Glasgow School of Art during the 40s at a time when they were the most feted of Scottish artists. Sadly both died early in the 60s (within 3 years of each other) - they were lovers - and were known by most as "The Two Roberts". By extending the roll call of "Roberts" Finlay is in some way placing his two acquaintances in the pantheon that includes Masson, Picabia, Ozenfant, Schwitters and Metzinger. VG+.
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Bologna: Galleria comunale d'art moderna di Bologna, 1977
20 x 20cm, 16pp plus wrappers. Exhibition catalogue for a worldwide survey visual poetry show with works from Anceschi, Andrafe, Boso, Caraballo, Herman, Ogaz, Oswald Weiner, Zabala, Viola, Setsuko and others as well as Finlay collaborating with Maxwell Allan alongside Bob Cobbing, John Furnival, Lillane Lyn, David Mayor and Alan Ridell from Britain. Curated by Giuliano Della Casa and Alessandro Serra. Finlay's work is not illustrated not mentioned in the catalogue essay by Adriano Spatola.
JOINT:
Bologna: Galleria comunale d'art moderna di Bologna, 1977
20 x 20cm, 1pp typographic announcement leaflet with Finlay being the only British artist mentioned in the leaflet. VG+.
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33 x 20.5cm, 1pp xerox copy of a letter sent by Ian Hamilton Finlay to his friend and collaborator Rod Gathercole relating to a set of epigrams Finlay called Persiflages. The letter notes some examples (not all eventually used) such as "My favourite flowers are leaves.". The letter also points to Finlay supplying outline sketches for drawings. The book was later published with drawings by Gathercole. VG.
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Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1977
10.5 x 15.6cm, 2pp. A photograph by Carl Heideken of a Oerlikon cannon below which the word LYRE has been added by Finlay. On the reverse of the card there is a quotation from Jean Cocteau "With us, there is a house, a lamp, a plate of soup, a fire, wine and pipes art the back of every important work of art."
Visually the cannon's ammunition looks like the strings of a harp (lyre) so Finlay sees a visual correspondence between the gun and the musical instrument (both also make noise) and by adding the quote he is also suggesting that art may well be violent as well as based on the homely values of Cocteau. VG+>
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Pescara, Lucrezia de Domizio, 1977 15 x 10 cm., postcard printed front and back, with a typographic design in blue on pink. This is an artist's postcard/multiple which on the front acts as a business card for Prof. Dr. Giuseppe Consoli (who was a friend of the photographer Buby Durini). The back fo the card fictitiously identifies Consoli as the designer but in actuality it is known that Beuys created it. “Quando a Natale del 1978 [ma 1976] Beuys e la sua famiglia erano con noi a San Silvestro Colle, un amico di Bubi [Durini], il professore Giuseppe Consoli, regalò a Beuys un coniglio depositato in una scatola rivestita internamente con carta dello stesso colore pink delle pareti dello spazio di Pisani alla Biennale [del 1976] con questa frase in blu: «Chi dice che il coniglio non ama Joseph Beuys?». Beuys ne fu entusiasta, ne fece una cartolina illustrata a tiratura illimitata e il coniglio lo portò con sé a Düsseldorf” (Lucrezia De Domizio Durini, Perché. Le sfide di un donna oltre l’arte, Milano, Mondadori Electa, 2013). Translation: “During Christmas 1978 [in fact 1976] Beuys and his family were with us at San Silvestro Colle, when a friend of Bubi [Durini], the professor Giuseppe Consoli, gave Beuys a rabbit deposited in a lined box internally with paper of the same colour pink on the walls of the space by Pisani alla Biennale [of 1976] with this sentence in blue: "Who says the rabbit doesn't love Joseph Beuys?" Beuys was enthusiastic about it, he made it an illustrated postcard with an unlimited edition and the rabbit took it with him to Düsseldorf" (Lucrezia De Domizio Durini, Why. The challenges of one woman beyond art, Milan, Mondadori Electa, 2013). It is also worth noting that Victor Pisani had given a public performance in 1975 entitled "Il coniglio non ama Joseph Beuys" where he humorously parodied Beuys' famous "How to explain pictures to a Dead Hare". Consoli's gift here of a rabbit to Beuys was a joke based on that to which Beuys made this card with more than a little irony. ...
Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1976
25 x 55cm offset lithograph in green and black on off white paper. A drawing by John Borg Manduca is printed in green and has elements of camouflage - hence Finlay's question: "Are Aircraft Carriers Urban or Rural?" makes sense as the huge vessel looks like greenery in the countryside. elsewhere Finlay has taken up this theme with a different print called "Topiary Aircraft Carrier".Murray has this as 5.56. VG+ condition.
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Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1976
15 x 10.5cm, 2pp. A photograph by Dave Paterson of an installation of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art Sundial and an explanatory text below to explain the work in metaphysical and classical terms. VG+.
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Dunsyre, : Wild Hawthorn Press, 1976
12 x 11cm,28pp plus card wrappers and printed blue dust jacket. Artist's book displaying two b/w photogrpahs of sculptural works in stone (both war planes) by John Andrews and nine poems by Finlay including:
UNTITLED
after Aram Saroyan
LOTS
lots
Aram Saroyan is an American minimalist poet. The word LOTS plays in opposition to the form. Finlay's poem hints at the complexity found in Saroyan's poems despite their (relative) lack of words or even letters.
This is one of 350 signed and numbered copies. VG+.
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Bologna: Studio Cavalieri - Arte Contemporanea, 1976 19.6 x 15.5cm, 2pp announcement card for the opening of the exhibition organised in collaboration with Lucrezia De Domizio. Front of the card utilises a b/w image of Beuys in performance in 1974 by Bubby Durini that is found on a number of other earlier cards also published in Italy. VG+ example....