paul robertson, Author at Unoriginal Sins

01 Jun AFTER THE GERMAN: DAS GEPFLUGTE LAND. 1998.

Posted at 18:04h in Artist's Postcards

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1998
12 x 15cm, 1pp artist's card printed black on light brown. DAS GEPFLUGTE LAND translates to THE FLUTED LAND. The German comes from a number of early writers and refers to the ploughed fields and rolling countryside seen from a distance. Finlay quotes both Holderin and Schiller and gives a key to some german words for plough, undulating, flight and wing - bringing the text back to flying birds as well as the rural scene VG+. .

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19 May IAN HAMILTON FINLAY. 1998.

Posted at 23:52h in Invitation Cards

London: Victoria Miro Gallery, 1998
10.5 x 15cm, 2pp announcement card with a reproduction of a bench design by Finlay with the text Odor Suavitatis carved into it. The text from the bible (in latin) means "fragrance of sweetness". Verso gallery details. VG+.

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15 May DERNIERES ANNEES. 1998.

Posted at 17:54h in EXHIBITION CATALOGUES

Paris: Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de paris, 1998
26.5 x 21cm, 28pp plus card covers. Exhibition catalogue that has an important text "Le Voyage au Perou/The Journey to Peru" which is in French and English. The text gives insights into the artist's practice - how he likes to reinstall works which change depending on the situation, the role of objects as a means of referencing "humanity" in his installations, the role of memory and archiving in his work and the importance of religion in art, the issue of death and its denial by society, and the artist's "journey to Peru' which relatees to the chronological experiences and knowledge. Black and white images of installations and works throughout. A wonderful catalogue. VG+.

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14 May DERNIERES ANNEES. 1998.

Posted at 20:23h in EPHEMERA

Paris: Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, 1998 10 x 21cm, 2pp typographic announcement card for a major solo show. Verso museum details. VG+. ...

14 May DERNIERES ANNES. 1998.

Posted at 15:15h in EPHEMERA

Paris: Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de paris, 1998
10 x 21cm, 2pp typographic announcement card for a solo show. VG+.

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14 May HULLS 1/HULLS 2. 1998. IN ORIGINAL CARD SLIPCASE.

Posted at 11:52h in Artist's Books

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1998
11 x 10.8 x 2cm card slipcase content of two volumes - both 10.5 x 10.6cm and unpaginated. Printed card covers. The first volume consists of the names of boats followed by unprinted coloured pages such that the painted colours of the actual boat are displayed serially. The second volume follows the first in that the same boats are listed (without identification) but now with the words of the boat colours printed in a large font. The boat names are repeated at the end of the book. For some reason this is reminiscent of some Sol Lewitt books in its conception but it also recalls earlier Finlay publications that are often referred to as "kinetic" eg OCEAN STRIPE SERIES 3.
One of only 250 printed. VG+

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10 May FUNNELS. 1998.

Posted at 13:14h in Uncategorised

LittleSparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1998 18 x 15cm, 60pp plus card covers. Artist's book showing 29 full page b/w photographs of toilet paper inner tubes overlaid with fishing port numbers and boat numbers to give a visual pun of funnels. The typography was by John Andrew and photographs by David Paterson. One of only 250 copies published - VG+. ...

09 May BUCHVORSTELLUNG MIT CHRISTIAN BOLTANSKI. 1998

Posted at 13:19h in EPHEMERA

Berlin: Wiens Laden & Verlag, 1998 10.5 x 15cm, 2pp typographic announcement card issued for the release of the artist's book Ensembles (with Jaques Roubaud). Boltanski spoke at a presentation on May 12th 1998 in the gallery. Verso gallery details. VG+. ...

07 May KADDISH. 1998.

Posted at 10:27h in ARTIST’S BOOKS

Paris/Munich: Editions des musées/ Gina Kehayoff Verlag, 1998. 26.5 x 20.5cm, 1168pp plus boards. First edition of this huge artist's book which reproduced 1148 black and white photographs all without detail taken from Botlanski's personal collection of found images. All are figurative - people in all of their different forms - and the title Kaddish is a Jewish call for praise of god - and sometimes part of mourning rituals.
There are four sections - Menschlich, Sachlich, Ortlich, Sterblich. Boltanski has adopted an interest in his father's religion and while not practising he clearly identifies with some of the religion's compassion.
VG+.

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06 May HISTORY SCULPTURE. 1998.

Posted at 22:03h in Monographs & Essays

Brough Park: Saint Paulinus, 1998
21 x 15cm, 28pp plus card covers and dust jacket. Short monograph on Finlay's La Revolution est un bloc sculpture - an axe is buried in a wooden (in actuality bronze) block with the title text. The axe has a blue, red and white ribbon on the handle. Essay by Harry Gilonis. Full colour image and another work - 4 Blades also reproduced. VG+.

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06 May THE HOMEWARD STAR… 1998.

Posted at 17:56h in Artist's Postcards

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1998
10.4 x 14.5cm, 1pp artist's card with two texts in a black oval:

The homeward star
The stitching sail

The homeward sail
The stitching star

Finlay notes the words "homeward star: occur in Samuel Palmers translation of Virgil's First Eclogue.
This card transposes the star and sail to alter the meaning of each phrase - a relatively common device used by Finlay in his poetry. The stitching sale being the way a sailor might be stitched into a sail when he died, the homeward sail being a reference to the end of life as well as a returning boat (again another Finlay trope). Both lines are momento mori. VG+.

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01 May FROM THE SERIES LITTLE SPARTA BY ROBIN GILLANDERS. 1988.

Posted at 22:13h in Invitation Cards

Edinburgh: National Galleries of Scotland, 1998
A set of three different 15 x 10.5cm, 2pp postcards each with a view of the gardens at Little Sparta taken by Robin Gillanders. Issued to help raise money for the Little Sparta Trust. VG+.

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