Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1972
7.5 x 7.5cm, 12pp plus wrappers and pictorial dj - artist's book with two drawings of triangles - one is denoted as a Sail, the other a sundial. Then tweo triangles are a schooner (a boat with two sails) and finally the numbers I - XII - is a fleet - presumably the boat numbers. Simply a visual pun based on the sundial,.
VG but the staples are somewhat rusted.
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Göttingen: Verlag Udo Breger, 1971
15.5 x 15,5cm, 20pp plus pictorial wrappers. An artist's book with nine b/w photographic images of a fishing boat (by Diane Tammes) with the registration number KY 64 opposite a page with other fishing codes and boat names taken from the "Olsen Fisherman's Nautical Almanack" to create poems from the names. Finlay apparently also wished the name to bring to memory the poet Olson. VG_
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NYC/Koln: Something Else Press, 1971,
157.5 x 12,5cm, 18pp (recto only) plus cover. An artist's book with silkscreens on thick card with interleaving pages and paper back cover (which is often missing because of its fragility). Three ring bindings. A series of visual and concrete poems by Finlay illustrated by Gordon Huntly. For example: 4 Sailing Drifters anre listed as Nobby, Nickey, Lily and Cloud - which Finlay finds an attractive grouping possibly just because of the vocalised rhythm. There is no real theme to the selection of works - this is indeed a "miscellany". One of 1,000 issued - this is in VG+ condition although the metal rings as always show flecks of rust.
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Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1971
15 x 11cm, 12pp (printed recto only with three silkscreened images on thick stock) plus wrappers and pictorial dj - artist's book with lovely colourful small drawings by Gardner above texts by Finlay. A brown sailed tall ship has the legend "An orchard of russets" above its appropriate name Appledore. A brown bottomed boat is a "Rococo walnut" because of its obvious seams, a fur tree is a "pinnate evergreen" which in turn is identified as the sea. One of 300 copies numbered and signed by Finlay on the colophon. VG+.
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Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1972
8 x 13cm, 12pp plus wrappers and pictorial dj - artist's book with two silkscreen images - the first is the text EVENING/SAIL in blue letters and the "/" in red - the second is the same but each letter but not the back slash replaced by blue dots. Typography and design by Michael Harvey. The disappearing letters indicating that the ship has gone home leaving only the mast to be seen far off on the horizon. A beautifully simple work which may also be seen as a momento mori much like the print "Evening wil come they sew the blue sale" - see elsewhere in the print section of this collection. One of 300 signed and numbered copies in VG+ condition.
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NYC: Collier Macmillan, 1971
21 x 18.5cm, 48pp. Original boards and printed dust jacket. First edition. A collection of concrete and visual poetry anthologised from Finlay's other publications such as Rapel, Blue and Brown Poems and Stonechats amongst others. Different paper stocks and printings re-formated for this square shaped volume. Original dust jacket here has some closed tears but is overall VG with VG+ book. Scarce. ...
Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1971
12.7 x 10.3cm, 16pp plus wrappers and pictorial dj - artist's book which purports to be a test for the ability to master a Weed Boat. The questions are all jokey and poetic at the same time. For example: "Q. What are the "petals" of the Port of Honfleur?" No answers are given. there are small vignettes on most pages by Ian Gardner.
Part One of the "test" was published in the series "Private Tutor" as issue no. 11 - see the listing elsewhere in these pages.VG+ although staples are minorly rusty
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Nottinghams: Tarasque Press, 1971
7.5 x 22cm, 76pp with one fold out page. Original card wrappers with pictorial dust jacket designed by Margot Sandeman. This artist's book consists of appropriated fisherman's slips (the paper slips put on boxes of fish to identify the seller) which are one and two word poems in this form. One of 300 signed and numbered copies. VG+. Murray 3.38.
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Nottingham: Tarasque Press, 1970
10 x 15cm, 24pp plus card covers and printed dust jacket. An artists' book with three Ian Hamilton Finlay concrete poems, three by SImon Cutts and two by Stuart Mills - all illustrated by Ian Gardner. Finlay's contributions are DAISY chain (sic), Carousel and Windmills Winding Waters. The book is very hard to find and often missed in catalogue raisonnes of Finlay's work. The illustrations by Gardner are charming and somewhat minimal - Daisy chain is illustrated as an iron chain for an anchor as Finlay's poem uses the name of a boat - DAISY - to create the visual poem. This is one of 100 numbered and signed copies. Slightly rusted staples else VG+. Very scarce.
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Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1970
7.2 x 10.2cm, 14pp. Concertina folded single sheet printed on both sides. Each image is an appropriated headline from the trade journal Fishing News - the headlines are more poetic when isolated from their origins. For example "Fishermen turn to mackerel" alters the story from a decision to change fishing strategy to that of a sea myth. Some of the works show here were published as individual artist's postcards also by the Wild Hawthorn Press. VG. There is a line drawing by Margot Sandeman at the second page of the publication.
One could make the case that this is a folded card rather than an artist's book but traditionally Murray has it in the artist's books section of his catalogue raisonee and we have decided to accept that catagorising with some reservations.
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Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1970
11.6 x 21cm, 30pp. Card covers with printed dust wrapper. Artist's book - with 16pp (recto only, leporello). A series of drawings by Sandeman of boats along with their names (thirteen in all). This is one of only 300 copies - of which each is numbered and signed by Finlay. Finlay often uses the image of a lemon in water as a metaphor for a boat. Slight browning on on edge else VG.
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Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1969
5.5 x 9cm, 30pp. Card covers with printed dust wrapper. Artist's book that takes the typesetter's symbol for "transpose" as a wave that moves through the various letters A, E, V and W - to eventually create the word for wave - and after all the symbol's typographic form is very similar to a wave shape. This work was the basis for larger three dimensional works on glass and also in stone and for public works. A small delight.
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