paul robertson, Author at Unoriginal Sins

22 Aug W. STEER AT WALKBERWICK.1997.

Posted at 09:23h in Artist's Postcards

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1997
10.5 x 9.5cm, 4pp card with a detail of a painting by Steer and internally a poem by Finlay:

W. Steer at Walberswick

Tucking into
knickers
imperishable
petticoat
froth

The reference painting here is Philip Wilson Steer's "The Beach at Walberswick". The British impressionist often concentrated on the people on the beach rather than the landscape per se as with other painters in that movement. Finlay notes the dresses of the women on the beach and compares their petticoat frills to the foam found at the sea edge. VG+.

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20 Aug THONIER. 1997.

Posted at 09:19h in Artist's Postcards

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1997
10.5 x 19.1cm, 2pp card with a reproduced painting by Janet Boulton of a long thorn branch. The title of the work is the name of a type of French fishing boat that strung long trails of hooks after them as a means of increasing the take of the trip, VG+.

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18 Aug CITRON – CITROEN. 1997. SIGNED BY THE ARTIST.

Posted at 23:02h in David Bellingham

Brussels: Galerie Bortier 1997
10.5 x 15cm,2pp artist postcard with a full colour photograph of a bowl of lemons with toy cars (Citroens) added. A take on Broodthaers' original correspondence work (and also somewhat similar to an Ian Hamilton Finlay work - Citrones). This example is signed on the back by the artist in black ink. VG+. ...

06 Aug PASTORAL. 1997.

Posted at 09:06h in Artist's Postcards

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1997
7.7 x 7.4cm, 6pp card with two internal panels that read:
TRIMMING
THE
LAMP

and

STOWING
THE
SAIL.
This work is after an early poem by Thomas A. Clark. Lamp trimmers were a specialised role on boats maintaining the many oil lamps safely, stowing the sail was an activity done at the end of the day. Finlay has created a work representing a day at sea and by extension the countryside. VG+.

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01 Aug B.P. 1997.

Posted at 09:01h in Artist's Postcards

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1997
3.3 x 7.8cm, 4pp outer folder with tipped on inner concertina folded sheet that reads:
t a n k e r

A concrete poem where the length of the spaced out letters reflects the construction of the ship. B.P. Stands for British Petroleum. VG+.

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28 Jul PROEM. 1997.

Posted at 10:23h in Artist's Postcards

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1997
14.8 x 10.5cm, 2pp, card printed with a drawing by Ron Costley of the front of a boat that is labelled PROEM. The word is similar to POEM and PROW: and there is a stylish beauty to the shape of the front of the ship. However there are other references here to the term "Proem" - firstly to that term invented by El Lissitzky used to refer to his constructivist style based on Malevich's supremacism - and the other meaning - a preface or preamble to a book or speech (the prow being the foremost part of the ship - a physical preamble). The title hence refers all of these different simultaneous meanings. VG+.

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21 Jul ANTHOLOGY. 1997. ONE OF ONLY 200 COPIES.

Posted at 20:38h in Page Works & Contributions

Edinburgh: Morning Star, 1997
14 x 10.5cm, blue card slipcase content of a 13.5 x 10cm, 28pp plus boards. Artist's book consisting of a number of contributions by Finlay, Harry Gilonis, Jackson Mac Low, Ian Stephen, Graham Rich, Haans Waanders, Simon Cutts, Thomas A. Clark, Pavel Buchler, David Bellingham, Richard Tuttle, Zoe Irvine, Alex Finlay, Simon Patterson, and Lawrence Weiner as well as others. One of only 200 printed. VG+.

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19 Jul TRANSCRIPT. VOLUME 2 ISSUE 1. 1997?

Posted at 14:39h in Page Works & Contributions

Dundee: Transcript Magazine, n.d. (1997?)
26.5 x 21cm, 90pp plus wrappers, Single number of this journal with a lengthy interview with Ian Hamilton Finlay and b/w photographs of Little Sparta with "camptions (sic!) by Finlay which are insightful. VG+.

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17 Jul 2 SQUARES. 1997.

Posted at 18:58h in Artist's Postcards

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1997
12.1 x 18cm, 2pp artist's card with a sepia tinted vintage appropriated photograph of two river boats with the sails photo-modified by Gary HIncks to be black squares (seen at an angle). 2 Squares was a children’s book by the Russian artist El Lissitzky which is regarded as a development of Supremacism (following Malevich's Black Square) which the latter called the "Proun". Hence this image is a visual poem representing the half-way house between the Supremacist and the Constructavist. VG+.

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12 Jul BOATSHELF. 1997.

Posted at 08:20h in Artist's Postcards

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1997
12.9 x 20.9cm, 2pp artist's card with a sepia tinted photograph by Robin Gillanders.The image is of a shelf of model boats made by Finlay - the boats are all placed facing a single direction - making the collection look like a fleet. Boatshelf being a neologism that is similar to bookshelf. VG+.

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09 Jul VISITOR. 1997.

Posted at 17:37h in Artist's Postcards

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, n.d. (1997) 6.4 x 6.8cm, 4pp. Artist's postcard a drawing by Gary Hincks of a pedelo.

A text internally reads:

Visitor
Veni
VIDA.
Vici.

She came
She saw
She sailed
The text references and updates a Latin phrase popularly attributed to Julius Caesar who, according to Appian, used the phrase in a letter to the Roman Senate around 47 BC after he had achieved a quick victory in his short war against Pharnaces II of Pontus at the Battle of Zela, the updating presumably referring to a modern visitation by the boat.

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08 Jul GROVE. 1997.

Posted at 18:17h in Artist's Postcards

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1997
8 x 16cm, 2pp artist's card with typography by Michael Harvey printed green and lime on white card. The poem reads

GROVE.
FLYING-JIB OR OUTE-JIB. MAIN-STAYSAIL JIB. MAIN-TRYSAL. FORE-STAYSAIL MIZEN-STAYSAIL. FORE-TRYSAIL JIB-HEADED SPANKER

The ship is described by its various masts and sails - the verticality of which reminds Finlay of a grove of trees. The bring colour of the card also evokes vegetation. VG+.

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