18 Mar

Posted at 19:12h in Artist's Books

Southampton: Southampton Art Gallery, 1984
21 x 14.8cm, 48pp plus printed wrappers with tipped on reproduced drawing. Offically an exhibition catalogue for a touring show and also a single number of the poetry and literature review New Arcadians - here dedicated to Finlay who wrote the text. The catalogue is illustrated throughout by Andrew Griffiths. The works all relate to the Little Sparta War as well as proposed artworks that are grounded in the Nazi iconography (as Finlay points out elsewhere these works do not support fascism - the symbolism of the Third Reich is powerful and can be detourned for good reasons by artists).
This is really an artist's book by Finlay and we are cataloguing it as such. One of 1000 hand-numbered copies. . VG+.

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06 Mar

Posted at 20:24h in Letters + Documents

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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06 Feb

Posted at 16:25h in Artist's Postcards

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, (1984) 6.4 x 20.9cm, 4pp artist's card with a drawing of an axe by Richard Healy with the title text on the "handle". The words "He spoke like an axe" came from his rival Barere and reference the surety that the young revolutionary brought to the debating chamber but also his reputation where he was the "Angel of death" announcing the condemned to the gathered representatives. VG+.

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15 Dec

Posted at 14:02h in Artist's Postcards

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1983
11 x 15cm , 1pp black on cream card. The text tells of a "Football Match" between Little Sparta and Strathclyde Region at the Middle Gate ("Checkpoint Sandy") and listing the respective captains as Sue Finlay and Councillor "own goal" Sanderson. The ball persons: Councillor Allison, Councillor Lawson, J.N. Young, W. Taylor and Referee: "Tim" Mason of the Scottish Arts Council. "The game will be kicked off by Dame Judith Hart."
The design of the card is somewhat basic - and this is noted as because it was "produced in conformity with Little Spartan Wartime Economy Standards".
This card has a handwritten greeting in blue ink by Finlay and dated. VG+.

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21 Sep

Posted at 17:56h in Miscellany

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, n.d. (1983)
21 x 15cm, 1pp printed red on cream paper. The announcement leaflet for the first of two limited edition medals issued by Finlay as a commemoration of the Little Sparta wars - this medal is the First Battle of Little Sparta with an image of a machine gun where the air holes on the barrel are compared with the holes on an arcadian flute. Central vertical crease else VG. Scarce ephemera from the period when Finlay took on the might of Strathclyde Region over local property taxes and sort of won.

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06 Sep

Posted at 14:52h in Artist's Postcards

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1983
22.5 x 9.5cm, 4pp, black on grey thin card with a drawing by Alexander Stoddart of a bust of Saint-Just with the name of the revolutionary altered to read "Satin Juts" - an anagram of the name. VG+.

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31 Jul

Posted at 22:23h in Artist's Postcards

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1983
17.8 x 132.8cm, 1pp. The card has a descending text based on a form of "all X lie":

all governments lie
all generals lie
all Grecians lie
all gypsies lie
all gymnosphists lie
all grocers lie
all Graces lie

Finlay wants the repeated phrases to hint at the effect of cynicism on order - obviously some of the lines are ridiculous - and that, in some sense, that distrust of oppositional forces (such as the Hebertists who were determined to wipe out Christianity during the French revolution and the Dantonists who were more willing to accept the church as a force in the land - both were executed in turn by Robespierre who himself was not anti-clerical or at least not anti-theist) is ultimately corrupt. VG+.

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30 Jul

Posted at 08:29h in Prints + Posters

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1983
14.2 x 15cm, red on white folding offset lithograph. There are 16 panels ten of each with a three word poem - for example

beast
brute

or

lute
lyre
luger

The trios of words are all alliterative within a panel beginning with the same letter. They all also end with a weapon or a reference to fascism. The "chant" is encouraged to be repeated when one gets to the end.
The "Region" here is Strathclyde Region and this is another of Finlay's acidic attacks on their bureaucracy.VG+ condition.
This is categorised as a print by both Murray and the Wild Hawthorn Press but it really is a folding card but for ease we have left it here in the prints section of this online collection.

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21 Jul

Posted at 19:52h in Artist's Postcards

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, n.d.(1983?)
8.4 x 7cm, 8pp single folding card printed on one side only in blue and red on white. The first panel lists the publishing details, the second shows the ship that has reef knots that look like the decorations on the side of the drums of the revolutionary army - the boat is called The Littel Drummer Boy and the panel remembers Bara the martyr, the third panel has the name Viala with a tricolour ribbon - here memorialising the death of the young martyr Joseph Agricol Viala who tried to demolish a bridge while under attack and died calling for Liberty and finally, the text "Hommage A David" who was a third martyr to the Terrorists murdered in his bath. A card in honour of three Republican deaths.
This example is signed "To Janet (Boulton) yours Gary (Hincks)" in blue and red crayon. VG+.

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20 Jul

Posted at 22:33h in Artist's Postcards

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1983
18 x 13.6cm, 1pp. The "play" consists of extracts from letters sent to Finlay from Strathclyde Region and the Scottish Arts Council interspersed with quotations from Gertrude Stein. Stein's texts (due to Finlay's clever selection) mock the official texts that proceed each. An ironic and somewhat biting attack on Finlay's enemies which is at the same time comic. VG+

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07 Jul

Posted at 16:42h in Page Works & Contributions

Noordwijk: MW Press 28, July 1983
38 x 28cm, 32pp plus 8pp smaller insert. Artist's journal in the form of a tabloid newspaper which here has an 8pp contribution by Finlay documenting the first of the Little Sparta Wars. Various letters and statements from participants in the war from both sides are joined with 6 photographs by Dave Paterson. The paper is fragile due to being very cheap and is unavoidable browned. Folded for storage. Very scarce.

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