20 Mar

Posted at 09:08h in Artist's Postcards

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1972
7.5 x 8.6cm, 6pp (single folded sheet printed only one side). One of Finlay's most accessible and popular cards, the images on both sides by Ian Gardner are very similar only one is a path leading to a house, the other a wake on water leading to a boat. The text in the middle tells a story in very few words: "They returned home tired by happy. The End." As with many of Finlay's card and prints that show returning boats this can be seen as a metaphor for the end of life or just the end of a nice tale. VG+

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29 Feb

Posted at 09:59h in Photographs

Sutherland: George A. Oliver, 1972 25.5 x 20.5cm, b/w silver gelatine photographic print showing a page from the artist's book "A Sailor's Calendar" as published by Dick Higgin's Something Else Press. The photo was taken by George Oliver and sent by Finlay to an Italian Collector. Label on reverse and photographer's stamp in red. Dated 29/2/72 in red ink....

25 Feb

Posted at 23:19h in Artist's Postcards

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1972
6.7 x 18.5cm, 4pp. Two photographs by Finlay of one of his home-made toys - here a frigate. On closer inspection one suddenly realises that the photograph is the same one only flipped so that the reflection from the water creates a visual illusion of solidity when it is dominant. Under one image the word "Fregatte" is set and under the other "Frigate" hence on the left the German and on the right the English words for the battleship. Hence by a simple rotation Finlay's photograph displays both sides of the conflict.
This card is signed on the back cover "Love from Ian" in blue ink. VG+.

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24 Feb

Posted at 16:07h in Exhibition Catalogues

Edinburgh: Richard Demarco Gallery/Coelfrith Press, 1972 30.7 x 25cm, printed envelope content of four stapled short essays all mimeographed and an original collage by Robin Crozier (which is signed and numbered) and five offset lithgraphic prints by Fred Brookes, John Dee, Roger Palmer, John Roberts and Colin Rose as well as the inclusion of RING by Finlay and Costley which is also known as Ceolfrith Press handout Nr 4 (which was also released independently of this publication). This was the catalogue publication for the exhibition "Coelfrith Artists of the North East" which was put on in Demarco's gallery in Edinburgh. Only 300 copies of this publication were released - but it is very rare to find it complete. The outer envelope is a little browned at the bottom and with mild wear but internally all elements are present and in VG+ condition. ...

11 Feb

Posted at 23:13h in Artist's Postcards

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1972
10.5 x 15.2cm, 1pp. A photograph by Finlay of his son Eck (later Alex) Finlay as a young child in a small boat on the lake (named after Eck) on the Finlay farm. It is a charming picture. Edward Atkinson Hornel was a Scottish painter who specialised in paintings of landscapes and nature within which children were often seen playing - a successful strategy for sales.

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27 Jan

Posted at 12:46h in Letters + Documents

21 x 17.8, 1pp. Original typed letter on green Wild Hawthorn Press stationery to Christopher Carrell continuing the discussion about invoices received from Michael Radford for travel and other expenses during a film-making session at Stoneypath. Finlay says that Anthony Phillips states he has nothing to do with him Finlay amusingly asks Carrell why he sent a£10 cheque - "if it was for your SIns, it is not enough; if it was to pay for some order , it may well be too much...

12 Jan

Posted at 12:25h in Letters + Documents

21 x 17.8, 2pp (stapled together). Original typed letter on green Wild Hawthorn Press stationery to Anthony Phillips complaining about invoices received from Michael Radford for travel and other expenses during a film-making session at Stoneypath. Finlay points out that the bill for £7 seems excessive from Edinburgh and that he had fed Radford who then made a very short period of filming before returning home. The signed letter has a PS at the end moaning about some steel sculpture in Stirling . It is not clear if the film was ever completed or released but Finlay clearly felt aggrieved about it all. We do not know Phillips' relationship to this dispute. VG+.

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11 Jan

Posted at 23:00h in Artist's Postcards

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1972
10.5 x 14.9cm, 4pp. Christmas card with typography by Michael Harvey with the title text across the card printed light yellow on yellow. The colour is meant to be reminiscent of wheat - and the boat name "Wave Sheaf" references the way the wind makes the stalks billow as if they are waves. The way the text is placed also implies a voyage across the horizon by a boat and simultaneously the ascenders of the letters might be regarded as masts or the sheaves. Additionally a wave-sheave was a traditional offering given by Jewish priests to their god and preceded the harvesting of the corn.
Leviticus 23:10-14 says "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, When you be come into the land which I give to you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then you shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it."

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29 Dec

Posted at 22:02h in Artist's Postcards

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1971
12.5 x 9.1cm, 4pp. Artist's card with a photographic image of a kite on the front. Internally the text reads: "Willing Wings. A Wild Hawthorn kite sets off on a leaflet raid, it's target The Arts Council of Great Britain, or possibly Fulcrum Press. New Year, 1971."
The kite - one of Finlay's handmade toys - is here weaponised. Finlay by 1971 had fallen out with the Arts Council and also the Fulcrum Press (over the production of the fifth edition of The Dancers Inherit the Party" which they had published claiming it was the first edition. This is the first card published by Finlay with an intent of attacking his enemies.

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04 Dec

Posted at 22:45h in Artist's Postcards

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1971
21 x 12.5cm, 4pp. Artist's card with a reproduced painting by Ian Gardner tipped on the card and opposite a text: "Elegy for Whimbrel and Petrel/petrol". A whimbrel is a wading bird and petrel is another sea bird that spends much of its time on the wing rather than on the sand hence between the two animals both sand and sky birds are represented. The elegy - the poem - is a sad consideration of the effects of pollution on seaside bird life. Opposite the boat in the painting is beached and has its sails ripped - hence it appears petrol fuelled boats are replacing the more traditional vessels much to Finlay's dismay. VG+.

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03 Dec

Posted at 16:49h in Exhibition Catalogues

Edinburgh: Richard Demarco Gallery, 1971
25 x 15cm, 6pp (single sheet printed one side only in turquoise and black). Demarco's monthly programme of events which lists an Ian Hamilton Finlay exhibition of Neon Poems and Net-Floats: the publication doubled as an exhibition catalogue. One b/w image of Finlay (obscured by sails) boating on Lock Echan. VG+ Scarce.

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