Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1985
10.2 x 24.6cm, 1pp red on white card. The text reads: "FEWER SCULPTURES! MORE STATUES! LIVE AMMUNITION IN COMMUNITY ARTS!"
Clearly a provocation in response to events and Finlay's turning to opposing the council and his other enemies with verbal aggressions. VG+.
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40.5 x 30.5cm, b/w silver gelatine original photograph of Finlay in front of one of his French revolution inspired sculpture "TERROR IS THE PIETY OF THE REVOLUTION". This was the portrait of Finlay taken by Christopher Barker for his book on British Poets. The correspondence between Finlay and Barker arranging the photo-shoot (Finlay agreed but did not enjoy the experience) is online on this site in the letters section. Sadly this print has a big paper lack bottom right on it but thankfully what is lost is a bit of the stonewall work. else Vg. Probably not unique but not many printed at the time.
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Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1985
5.8 x 20.5cm, 1pp card printed black and red on cream with a drawing of a machine gun by Ron Costley which has holes in the barrel (to prevent over heating). Finlay has used this motif in prints and elsewhere to reflect the pan-pipes of the god Apollo.
Additional are several epigrams from the poet's "More Detached Sentences" (on gardening) and a note: "Owing to practical necessities of Little Sparta's War with Strathclyde Region, the Garden and Garden Temple are presently closed to the public. The provisional government of Little Sparta is revolutionary until the peace.".
This card is dated 1986 in both the flawed Murray Catalogue Raisonne and the Wild Hawthorn Press' own online listing of artist's cards - it is however clearly 1985 - not only printed on the card but additionally this example is hand addressed by Finlay to Harry Warschauer (and with a red rubber stamp impression - STRATHCLYDE REGION DER UNTERGANG DES ABENDLANDES) and the franking to the stamp is clearly dated "5 June 1985". We have restored this item to the correct date in this catalogue. VG+.
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Little Sparta: s.p (Finlay), n.d. (c. 1985) 30 x 21cm, 1pp offset sheet with a text by Finlay regarding a proposed "Free Arts scheme": essentially a method by which potential buyers of art can make regular advance payments to a bank account. The proposal did not take place. Staple top left is a little rusty and the additional pages to which it was originally attached (a xerox of a letter to Christopher Macintosh) is catalogued separately here as the two documents were not related. VG+....
n.p.: n.p., n.d. 10.5 x 15cm, 2pp. One of Finlay's best known cards but here not officially published by the Wild Hawthorn Press. We have added this to the Miscellany section until we find out who published it and whether it was officially reprinted or not. VG+. ...
Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1985
21 x 21cm (unfolded), 2pp red on white card. The text "EVERY GOAL NEGATES" comes from the German atheist philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach in his book 'Thoughts on Death and Immortality' - in full it is 'Every goal negates; where there is no destruction, no negation and sacrifice of independent existence, there is no purpose." - emphasising the role of destruction and loss in the world.
Here Finlay has made this into a paper dart which is a weapon of sorts carrying Feuerbach's message to the person hit by the paper. VG+.
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Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1985
42 × 32.1cm, red and black silkscreen on cream paper. A diagram that can be cut out and formed into a Corinthian capital for a column (drawn by Nicholas Stone). On the diagram there is a definition: "CAPITAL n. a republican crown."
A republic is a state without a king - hence it would not have a crown. The Corinthian capitals (also known as orders) is the last developed of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture and hence regarded as the most advanced - and it was also the most ornate (somewhat like a bejewelled crown). There is a tension in this work by Finlay that is never quite resolved. Perhaps the other meanings of capital are also important here - as the uppercase beginning letter of a sentence and/or the city in which the government (perhaps a republican governement) is based. Fine condition.
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London: Reaktion Books, 1985
28 x 21cm, 318pp plus boards and dust jacket. Hardback first edition of one of the largest of Finlay monographs. Texts by Abrioux and introductory notes and commentaries by Stephen Bann with over 370 illustrations, 68 in full colour and 19 in two colours. With by Stephen Bann. Slight wear to dj else VG+.
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London: Reaktion Books, 1985
28 x 21cm, 318pp plus card covers. Paperback first edition of one of the largest of Finlay monographs. Texts by Abrioux and introductory notes and commentaries by Stephen Bann with over 370 illustrations, 68 in full colour and 19 in two colours. With by Stephen Bann. Slight wear to spine else VG+.
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Amsterdam: Print Gallery, 1984
30 x 21cm, 2pp announcement leaflet with one concrete poem "La plume est dans le jardin" reproduced on front and the horizon of Holland on the back . "Finlay's texts have gradually been incorporated into a spiritual environment. We are showing a number of them enlarged."
Folded with two punched holes for storage else VG. This copy is address to Hansjorg Mayer.
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London: Barbarian Press, 1985
32 x 21cm, 12pp (rough edged paper) plus card covers and printed dustjacket. Letterpress printed. Artist;s book which has 80 epigrams and aphorisms by Finlay on a wide range of issues. There are four on concrete poetry, for instance,:
The Muse of concrete poetry reverse Mnemosyne's gift: depriving the poet of song, she gave him sweet eyesight.
Concrete poetry was less a visual than a silent poetry.
The conrete poets regarded language itself as rhetorical.
COncrete poems were thought childish because they were seen but not heard."
This is a charming and musing book with no central theme so can be dipped into at random. It was one of only 150 numbered copies. VG+.
Strangely Murray has this book twice in his catalogue raisonne - once in 1981 (which is erroneous) and again in 1985 - which is correct.
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Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, n.d.
7.4 x 10cm, 10pp accordion fold with a text:
The perfect sentence/primly holding its proper content/like a plain little jug. With a drawing of such a jug byKathleen Lindsley.
Finlay creates a metaphor for good writing - simplicity and function. VG+ ...