Artist's Postcards - Unoriginal Sins

15 Mar STANDING POEM 2. (APPLE/HEART 1). 1965.

Posted at 18:09h in Artist's Postcards

Edinburgh: Wild Hawthorn Press, n.d. (1965)
20.3 x 13cm, printed 1pp. Folded on both sides allowing the card to stand as intended. The inner images are of an apple in red with a black stalk which metamorphoses step by step into a heart. Alongside that graphical change the word LOVE slowly emerges also first with a l then LO then LOV then LOVE. On each step the letter shapes added have some similarities with the red apple shape changing - for example the V in love appears as the top of the round apple indents in a V shape as part of the way to the final image. This is then mirrored by a second exact group of images and text in parallel.
The previous standing card (Standing Card 1) involved a pear appearing and disappearing - here an apple has a similar fate. In a simple card expressing love is a depth of metaphor and physical similarities. Like much of the best of Finlay the work has multiple readings.
This is a scarce card - Murray in his flawed catalogue raisonne claims it as the third ever card published but it is more probably the fifth if one includes the earlier typescript from 1963 in this collection. VG+ condition.

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14 Dec THE STAR IN THE STABLE OF LIGHT. 1964. VERY EARLY CHRISTMAS CARD SIGNED.

Posted at 21:26h in Artist's Postcards

Edinburgh: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1964
14 x 16cm, 4pp (folded single card). This card is 1965 (as can be attested by the franking on the envelope and not 1964 as Murray's very flawed catalogue raisonne has it). According to Murray this was Finlay's second published card but we have examples of other cards from before this time that Murray did not know about - but this is early nonetheless and part of Finlay's habit of producing bespoke Xmas cards for friends. This card simply has the title words on the front - each centred around the middle line. A religious reference to the crib but also to the way a heavenly star will often be seen to have a shimmer surrounding it - again one might imagine a reference to a crown (from an attending King perhaps?).
An extremely hard card to find - we have seen only 3 examples in 20 years and it took us that same amount of time to find one for this collection. One small tear to the card on the right from being poorly opened in the envelope, internally this is signed "Happy Christmas from Ian" and is with the original postal envelope hand addressed by Finlay to Fred Hunter.

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14 Dec NETS NIGHT STAR FISH. 1964. WITH HAND WRITTEN XMAS GREETINGS TO VICTOR VASERELY FROM FINLAY..

Posted at 16:23h in Artist's Postcards

Edinburgh: Wild Hawthorn Press, n.d. (1964)
16.3 x 27.9cm, 1pp. Printed blue and orange on off white card. An extremely early Xmas card sent out privately by Finlay to friends and associates. The work is a concrete poem which contains recognisable early themes by the poet - the words all relate to the experience of commercial but small scale night time fishing in Scotland - the nets, the star, the fish all can be found in the shape of a constellation (later similar works build on this idea). This card on the back has a handwritten greeting "Happy Christmas to Victor (Vaserely) from Ian" and the date 1964. The latter is important because else this card is unknown in the literature and the date would be unknown.
Former folded in the middle and some stains but this is a rarity amongst Finlay artist postcards.

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01 Jan STANDING POEM 1 (PEAR PPEAR APPEAR). 1963.

Posted at 16:40h in Artist's Postcards

Edinburgh; Wild Hawthorne Press, 1963
20 x 28.5cm, green and mustard printed on light brown card. Very rare folding card (three creases to make an irregular standing rectangle) the very first card sculpture by Finlay.
This example also has the original printed mailing envelope and the instruction leaflet showing how to fold the work.
The evolution of the word PEAR to APPEAR is reversed in the DISAPPEAR to PEAR section of the card. Finlay liked the progression of words and images - the similarity of each step to the previous one added layers of meaning. A fruit - a pear - both becomes visible and invisible in turn. Formed (grown) and consumed even. A very rare item especially with the envelope and the leaflet.

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01 Jan LAPPY ISTHMUS FISHES/HAPPY CHRISTMAS WISHES. 1963. (NOT IN ANY CATALOGUE RAISONNE)

Posted at 15:37h in Artist's Postcards

N.p.: s.p. (Finlay), 1963
15.5 x 10cm, 4pp (asymmetric fold). Black on yellow card. One of Finlay’s most early of concrete works, this Xmas card has the two texts printed in such a manner that the overlapping front of the card reads LAPPY ISTHMUS FISHES but when opened HAPPY CHRISTMAS WISHES.
The text references the format of newspaper headlines (which Finlay used in several early postcard and bookworks) and suggests the unlikely idea of circulating fish found near a long strip of land which when opened reveals the season's greetings. This card is not found in any catalogue raisonne and is very rare. This example has a handwritten and signed greeting from Finlay.
15.5 x 10cm, 4pp (asymmetric fold). Black on yellow card. One of Finlay’s most early of concrete works, this Xmas card has the two texts printed in such a manner that the overlapping front of the card reads LAPPY ISTHMUS FISHES but when opened HAPPY CHRISTMAS WISHES.

The text references the format of newspaper headlines (which Finlay used in several early postcard and bookworks) and suggests the unlikely idea of circulating fish found near a long strip of land which when opened reveals the season's greetings. This card is not found in any catalogue raisonne and is very rare. This example has a handwritten and signed greeting from Finlay....