Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1985
15 x 10.5cm, 4pp (made of a single folded sheet printed one-side only). A hand-written letter on printed Ulysses Was Here stationery (one of the few times we have seen the printed letterhead used in such a folded manner) from Sue Finlay to John Stathatos letting the latter know that the Wildflower Vases are available for £100 each. VG+.
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Little Sparta: Finlay, 25th January 1985
An original vintage xerox 30 x 21cm, 1pp with a round robin letter from Finlay to all of the Saint-Just Vigilantes.
The letter lets the Vigilantes know that the Sheriff Officer had informed Little Sparta that he "has received explicit instructions from Strathclyde Regional Council to proceed with a Sale of the effects earlier removed" from the Garden Temple.
Finlay explains that some of the artworks removed had other owners and were therefore illegally taken. Finlay explains the role of the Scottish Arts Council (a role he is unhappy with) as a potential mediator but notes their failure to take that role. He asks supporters to write to the SAC and others to demand that the illegal sale of works be cancelled and that the "Region be obliged to return to the notion of law."
The letter ends with "Meanwhile, will all Saint-Just Vigilantes who are available for active service at the front, please be in touch with Little Sparta. "Only those who take part in Battles, win them." - Saint-Just.
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Little Sparta: Saint-Just Vigilantes (Finlay), 1985 30 x 21cm, 2pp (recto only) vintage xerox of a letter from Finlay to Christopher MacIntosh noting that the Scottish Arts Council had (after earlier requests) agreed to hear Finlay's case for them to support his actions against the Strathclyde regional Council. Finlay asks MacIntosh as one of the Saint-Just Vigilantes to write to the SAC stating that the latter believes the Garden Temple to be a religious building and to return the letter to Finlay. The letter also has short passages by Finlay where he states clearly his belief that the building is clearly religious in nature and pointing to the equivalence of Apollo and Saint Just as both revolutionary and classical. "A garden may be a paradigm of Revolution since it consists in the shaping, not of an artefact, but of an actual piece of territory." Slight rust around where a staple has been removed in the past else VG. ...
Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1985
23 x 23cm (unfolded size), 2pp sheet of printed paper designed to be folded into a paper airplane shape and thrown.
The text inside: "BEAT THE REDS WITH THE WHITE WEDGE: CORRESPOND!" adapts the Russian revolutionary slogan from the famous painting by Lazar Markovich Lissitzky, suggesting writing letters may be a radical response to the attacks on Little Sparta by the Strathclyde Region. It should be noted that the dart is supposedly published by the "Committee of Public Safety" which was the centralised mechanism by which Robespierre and Saint-Just controlled the Terror of the French revolution. This is a mailed example to Ronnie Duncan with stamp and frank. Murray lists this as a card - which is debatable we have decided to categorise it as a letter/document because of it's intent as a campaigning item. VG+.
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Little Sparta: s.p. (Finlay), n.p. (1984) 30 x 21cm, 4pp (printed recto only) previously stapled. The handout given to visitors to Little Sparta describing the various rooms in the Garden Temple and the works inside them. Unusual for Finlay this gives insight into his work (all related to the French Revolution). Rust from the former staple else VG+. ...
Little Sparta: Finlay, 1984
30 x 21cm, 1pp,. Offset lithographic press release and newsletter for supporters. Finlay lets everyone know that a new summary warrant against the Garden Temple has been issued by Strathclyde Region and warns of a second "assault" on the Temple and possible imprisonment of those living there. He also points out that Strathclyde Region hold works "stolen" under the previous warrant that are worth more than twice the disputed amount over the Rates bill and that some of the works taken were returned after US embassy intervention for the items jointly owned by US museums. The circular/press release then ends with a long quotation from Schiller. VG.
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Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1984
30 x 21cm, 3pp (recto only), stapled top left. A homemade photocopy price list for Finlay's press released early in 1984. The Press regularly sent out such lists to clients and with orders. VG if one takes account of the rather thrown together method of printing.
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Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press (?), Friday 17 June 1983
21 x 30cm, 2pp black on off-white newsprint. A parody newspaper with humorous articles about the dispute between Strathclyde Region and Ian Hamilton Finlay over rates for the Garden temple at Little Sparta. Spurious claims of Little Sparta having a "secret weapon: the "Tucker Gun" based on a 19060s abstract sculpture by WIlliam Tucker. The act of postering the Scottish Arts Council building is also reported on with an image of one of the posters gummed onto the columns outside the building. US troops are also reported to have landed in the Pentland Hills and are "preparatory to advancing into Strathclyde Region" and "taking over key points such as...
Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, n.d. c. 1982.
21 x 18cm, 1pp printed letterhead - red and green on white. Finlay created a number of different stationery for Little Sparta and used them (as far as we can tell) indiscriminately for his correspondence. This unused example has across the top "SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE ARTS AGAINST THE ARTS COUNCIL". And at the bottom "When I hear the words 'Arts Council' I reach for my water pistol". Fine.
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Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, n.d. c. 1982.
21 x 18cm, 1pp printed letterhead - green on grey. Finlay created a number of different stationery for Little Sparta and used them (as far as we can tell) indiscriminately for his correspondence. This unused example has across the top "PAN incorporating PICK/Scociety of Scottish Garden Poets". And at the bottom "The PICK is mightier than the PEN". Fine....
30 x 21cm, 1pp original carbon copy on typing paper.
A copy of a letter sent by Finlay to the Chief Executive for Strathclyde Region.
The letter informs the Chief Executive that the works that were removed by the Sheriff Officer were not entirely Finlay's property, but part owned by an US institution.
Finlay raises the possibility that the US might invade Scotland from the Clyde bases to regain their property (an amusing canard) and then rants agains the Region but in a witty and amusing manner.
This is one of four such letters written on the same day by Finlay to various bodies. He was on a roll. Each (see other entries in this section) is a funny and often drole piece of trolling (before the word trolling was invented for this purpose).
Copies of the letter are noted as having been sent to Andrew Brown, Ian Gardner, Wadsworth Atheneum and Sol Lewitt (Finlay claims he had part ownership of the "stolen" works.
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30 x 21cm, 1pp original carbon copy on typing paper.
A copy of a letter sent by Finlay to the Secretary of State for Scotland.
The letter informs him about the "theft" of the works by the Sheriff Officer from Little Sparta. Finlay announces that the garden at Little Sparta is now closed because of the Region's actions. he also points out that some of the works taken were part owned by other institutions who were now considering legal action against Christie's and the Region to recover their property. Finlay says that that is wrong - that the US institutions should really be consulting the Pentagon. Finlay tells the SOS that he will now defend himself by any means necessary including should it be necessary "sleeping in our Wellies".
In conclusion Finlay accuses the SOS of licensing a "rabble: and calling it a "Region", "You have gone too far.".
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