Bremen: Gakerie Stadtpark, 1997 10.5 x 15cm, 2pp announcement card printed black on white with a reproduced drawing by Byars of his initials (JLB) on the front. This exhibition began only one month before Byars died in Cairo. Fine....
Dublin: DHG, 1997 24 x 24cm, outer white printed envelope content of two other envelopes - one white and one black - both 23 x 23cm. The black one has a circular cut piece of black tissue paper and is a paper multiple by Byars, the other (white) has a printed image of a stone on a square white sheet by McKenna. Byars’ last paper multiple before his early death in Cairo later in the same year. Fine although the outer white envelope has some marks and one closed tear in the glued flap. Scarce....
Dublin: DHG, 1997 21 x 15cm, 1pp typographic announcement card for Byars second last exhibition during his lifetime alongside Stephen McKenna....
Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, n.d.
16.2 x 6cm, 4pp outer folder in red with inserted 4pp artist's card with a reproduced linocut by Gary Hincks on the front of a raging bonfire and internally a poem by Finlay:
IDYLLE.
Brilliante
blazing
bonfire
Idylle
de la
cerise
The colour of a blazing fire is compared with the colour of cherries (which is matched with the outer paper colour). VG+. ...
Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1997
19.2 x 8.4cm, 2pp. A linocut by Gary Hincks. A work that is based on Ben Nicholson's Letters and Numbers - here displaying the sides of fish boxes with the various sizes and numbers and port letterings that identify the catches. Added however are IHF (for Finlay), GH (for Gary Hincks) and WHP (for Wild Hawthorn Press).
There were two variations of this card - one green and the other, like here, brown. VG+.
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Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1997
60 x 27cm linocut in black/brown on white paper. Drawing after Ben Nicholson by Gary Hincks.
The images are a repeating reproduction of a fishing boat box end although the letting at the bottom consists of the initials of Ian Hamilton Finlay, Gary Hincks and the Wild Hawthorn Press. Sadly we do not know and cannot find the origin Nicholson print this is based on - many of Finlay's later prints reproduced works inspired by Nicholson. We also believe there was a green print variant of this work. VG.
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Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1997
6 x 2cm, 4pp. One of three cards issued by the press that displays the effects of the "clinker" method of boat building where the edges of hull planks overlap each other. The boat number (which for Finlay is often a poetic construct anyway) is broken up by the irregular sides of the hull. The drawing is by Gary Hincks. VG+.
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Glasgow: WAX366 for Morning Star Publications. 1997
14.5 x 20.5cm, 28pp plus brown boards with attached title label. Reproductions of 13 rubber stamp impressions from stamps that Finlay produced during the Little Sparta War. This was one of 100 numbered copies. Very scarce. In fine condition.
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Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1997
11 x 16cm, 1pp. A quote from Virgil is repeated twice:
-- THEY lightly skim,
And gently sip the dimply river's brim.
One quotation is allocated by Finlay as being about bees, the other boats. VG+.
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Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, n.d. (1997)
7.4 x 6.5cm, 4pp. Artist's postcard a drawing by Gary Hincks of a row of growing beans above which a model airplane has been placed on a string and thin stake presumably to keep birds off the planting.
A text internally reads:
Row of beans
And one old bomber
To scare the birds.
It appears this drawing was from an actual such installation in the garden of Andrew Whittle's Rose Cottage. Whittle was a stone carver and a collaborator with Finlay. VG+.
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Glasgow: Wax366, 1997
18 x 21cm, 2pp artist postcard with a black and white word FINISH but printed backwards - issued as an end of year gift by the artist. This example is signed on the back in black ink. Very slightly stained on the front else VG. ...
Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, Christmas 1996
14 x 15.2cm, 4pp card. A drawing by Gary Hincks of a cross section of the midship area of a boat. The parts of the structure are all printed in black except one "carling" which is in red. In shipbuilding, carlings are two pieces of timber laid fore and aft under the deck of a ship, from one beam to another, directly over the keel. Carlings hold the ship together. Other meanings of carlings are less known - an old woman (perhaps a witch) and a type of pea. More than this we do not know - any information about this card would be greatfully received.
This card has a hand-written greeting from Finlay in black ink "love from Dad". VG+
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