30 Sep

Posted at 13:35h in Artist's Postcards

N.p. (Glasgow?): n.p. (Hughson Gallery), 1986 15 x 10.5cm, 2pp. Gallery issued postcard (who represented Margot Sandeman) with a reproduction of a painting by the artist based on a poem / "definition work" by her friend, and oft collaborator, Finlay. Each of the 11 painted works had Finlay's original hand-typed poem glued onto the canvas and Finlay later signed all the works on the back of the canvass to given them the status of a work by himself as a collaborator. There were 11 such paintings made.
The definition here reads:
SHEAF, n. a bouquet of corn, grasses, wild flowers etc in the likeness of a torch.
These works were forgotten about until a visit to Sandeman by Paul Robertson in c. 2008 brought them to his notice. Sandeman agreed to exhibit the works at Robertson's gallery and to produce an artist's book together reproducing the works. However within a week of Robertson's visit Richard Demarco found out about the paintings via his assistant who had also visited Sandeman and Demarco went to the artist (who he had known for many years) and took the works away with him when he left. Robertson was not able to exhibit them or publish the book. They were later exhibited posthumously to Sandeman's sad death at Summerhall by Demarco - ironically at a time when Robertson was the visual arts curator for the building.
VG+ - an unknown artist's card presumably because it was not published with Finlay's knowledge. Very scarce.

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26 Sep

Posted at 10:44h in Artist's Postcards

Glasgow: Hughson Gallery, 1986
10.5 x 15cm, 4pp. Gallery issued postcard (who represented Margot Sandeman) with a reproduction of a painting by the artist based on a poem / "definition work" by her friend, and oft collaborator, Finlay. Each of the works had his original typed poem glued onto the canvas and Finlay later signed all the works on the back of the canvass to given them the status of a work by himself. There were c. 12 such paintings made.
These works were forgotten about until a visit to Sandeman by Paul Robertson in c. 2008 brought them to his notice. Sandeman agreed to exhibit the works at Robertson's gallery and to produce an artist's book together reproducing the works. However within a week of Robertson's visit Richard Demarco found out about the paintings via his assistant who had also visited Sandeman and Demarco went to the artist (who he had known for many years) and took the works away with him when he left. Robertson was not able to exhibit them or publish the book. They were later exhibited posthumously to Sandeman's sad death at Summerhall by Demarco - ironically at a time when Robertson was the visual arts curator for the building.
VG+ - an unknown artist's card presumably because it was not published with Finlay's knowledge. Very scarce.

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24 Sep

Posted at 23:28h in Artist's Postcards

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1986 18.2 x 14.1cm, 1pp Artist's card with an appropriated image of the dead or dying Marat on his deathbed with a sword labeled "I was a member of the National Trust" hanging like the sword of Damocles as a threat above him. The original David etching from which this was taken is used as a threat or suggestion to members of the National Trust because the organisation had published the Follies book suggesting Little Sparta was one such folly. VG+.

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24 Sep

Posted at 23:22h in Artist's Postcards

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1986
18.2 x 14.1cm, 1pp Artist's card with an appropriated image of the dead or dying Marat on his deathbed with a sword labeled "I was published by Jonathan Cape" hanging like the sword of Damocles as a threat above him. The original David etching from which this was taken is used as a threat or suggestion of how the publishing house might be found following their fall out with Finlay. VG+.

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07 Aug

Posted at 18:57h in Artist's Postcards

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, n.d. (c. 1986)
12.8 x 10cm, 1pp. Artist's card which has a text with typography and small drawings by Mark Stewart printed red on brown. The text is "The difference in a house by Voysey and a house by Lutyens is that the lobby of the former holds a toy spade and a minnow-net and that of the latter a fishing rod and a gun."
Voysey was heavily influenced by art nouveau whereas Lutyens was more practical and his houses more suited to the modern era he lived in.
This card is not found in Murray or in the online (limited) Wild Hawthorn Press listings of cards. One the back of this one is an extensive ink note from Sue Finlay to Victoria Miro asking for more copies of the invitation card (we believe the A David cards), mentioning how hot Italy had been and wishing the show to go well. Fromt his we date this card to be around 1976 and have placed it thus. VG+. Rare.

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06 Aug

Posted at 23:38h in Artist's Postcards

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1986
5.1 x 5.1cm, 4pp folding card with a drawing of nettles by Stephanie Kedik, printed black on light olive paper with the following poem on the left inner fold:
The pears
and frets
of nettles
VG+. Scarce.

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07 Jul

Posted at 09:42h in Artist's Postcards

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1986
9 x 10.5cm, 4pp folding card with a line drawing of a pear by Stephanie Kedik, printed black on light brown with the following texts on the left and right inner folds - on the left::
very fine
late cherry

and on the right:
fine later
large pear

The references from from Thomas Jefferson's Garden Book that lists his activities in two different gardens during the 1766 to 1824 period (the gardens it should be noted, in a great part, had their upkeep from slaves). Finlay's texts remind the reader of the physical similarity of the two plump fruits but also they differentiate the two gardens of the President's life - in fact the first entry in Jefferson's diary is a description of his cherries and, later, he he writes about a 'Seckel Pear' at Monticello (his second house) claiming this variety "exceeded anything I have tasted since I left France, and equalled any pear I had seen there." The two poems therefore also represent the young and the old life of the gardener. VG+. Scarce.

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02 Jul

Posted at 10:11h in Artist's Postcards

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1986
7 x 7cm, 4pp folding card with a poem by Finlay based on a newspaper report on the repairs made to wells which gave the poet his last line.

wreathing of rockets<BR. dusting of dreadnoughts
greening of gun-sites
parading of panzers
dressing of wells

The lines all describe war machines being camouflaged - a common theme in Finlay which is a momento mori - death can be found in beauty. VG+.

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07 Jun

Posted at 18:05h in Artist's Postcards

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1986
19.1 × 11.7cm, 1pp blue on white artist's card with a drawing by Gary Hincks. The drawing shows a watering can in a floral garden setting.
The phrase "modest hero" was coined by Bernardin de Saint-Pierre when referring to the ordinary man (and woman) at the centre of the French revolution - but the watering can is a reminder of the Thermidorian reaction as The Directory came to replace the rule of Robespierre and eventually the rise of the dictator Napoleon. VG+.

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15 Mar

Posted at 08:55h in Artist's Postcards

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, n.d.. (1986) 12.7 x 8.2cm, 2pp printed green and black on cream card. A text by Anthony Blunt (then the Queen's curator and later to be revealed as a traitor) from his book "The Paintings Of Poussin" explains the work Et in Arcadia Ego (Blunt refers to it as the Arcadian Shepherds - a lesser used title) which Finlay has often referred to in his works. The text has been altered however to suggest that the message on the tomb in the painting says "Terror" and Virtue" instead of Et In Arcadia ego. Finlay has referenced the French Revolution by this substitution and his view that terror was a direct consequence of virtue and that the former is somehow a pure form of conscience.

On the back of the card is a reminder on the third anniversary of the "Strathclyde Region's assault on the Garden Temple" where the local authority took in lieu of disputed rates two works by Finlay. The card complains that the Scottish Arts Council and the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Arts Minister have not "upheld the law" in the artist's opinion. VG+. ...

09 Mar

Posted at 10:05h in Artist's Postcards

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1986
9 x 10.5cm, 4pp artist's card with a line drawing of a pear by Stephanie Kedik on the front, and internally two poems:

very fine
late cherry

fine late
large pear

The poems reference texts in Thomas Jefferson's garden as noted in the book he wrote in 1769. Pears and cherries were important to the President and he delighted in growing both. VG+. ...

04 Feb

Posted at 10:18h in Artist's Postcards

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1986
11.5 x 17.7, 1pp card with noting the third anniversary of Strathclyde Regions "assault" on the Garden Temple at Little Sparta below which Finlay has written printed green on cream:BR> "all wars grow mossy".
The line reminds the reader that all statues and commemorative stones ultimately are covered in growth and the event forgotten. This is one of my favourite Finlay aphorisms - time passes and what seems memorable goes from public consciousness.
This card on the back has a black rubber stamp impression from Finlay that reads "FEBRUARY 4/DAY OF THE FLUTE". VG+.

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