Little Sparta: Finlay, 1982
Standard hand addressed DL manilla postal envelope to Harry Warschauer franked 22 September 1982. Notable for the red rubber stamp impression added by Finlay to the front: "STRATHCLYDE - THE INFERNAL REGION". Return address stamping on back. Slightly roughly opened.
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25 x 20cm, original carbon copy on typing paper dated 21.9.82.
A letter sent by Ian Hamilton Finlay to the Strathclyde Region Sheriff officer relying to a letter from the Sheriff Officer of the previous day.
Finlay was threatened with a forced sale of assets as Strathclyde Regional Council had argued that because he was using the barn on his property as an art gallery, he would be liable to pay higher rates. Finlay in turn claimed the space was a "temple" and hence fell under legislation for religious buildings. Here Finlay informs the Sheriff that he feels the Region has not allowed any discussion and that due process has not really been followed. Yet he also says "I know it is not your professional responsibility to discuss these matters" so one is tempted to read the letter as an opening salvo in a PR battle.
This copy is hand corrected in blue ink by Finlay and is also signed at the bottom in ink - and there is a further not for the friend to whom he sent the copy: "Good wishes; we missed your peaceful visit - Ian" again in blue ink.
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San Francisco North Point Press, 1982
22.5 x 15cm, 186pp plus card covers. First edition of this Jonathan Williams' selected essays on poet which include Charles Olson, Mina Loy, Lorine Neidecker, Bucky Fuller, Lyle Borge, Aaron Siskind and Ian Hamilton Finlay "Being a wee introduction to the Scot's Poet". VG+.
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Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, n.d. (c. 1982)
30.5 × 43.2m, red on white offset lithograph. This is one of four which carry ant-Arts Council messages in Latin. This poster print has " CONCILIUM ARTIUM DELENDUM EST" which roughly translates into "The Arts Council Must be Utterly Destroyed" although there are some liberties taken in the language by Finlay.
Printed as part of Finlay's campaign against the muribund Scottish Arts Council and Strathclyde Region over a Rates dispute, these lithographs were fly-posted on the Scottish National Gallery, the Scottish Arts Council building and other places in Edinburgh by supporters of Finlay (called the Saint-Just Vigilantes).
Apparently ‘The Arts Council Must be Utterly Destroyed’ is derived from a phrase Cato would add to the end of every speech as a reference to his hatred of Carthage.
This lithograph is folded but all copies are rare as many were used as campaign posters on the buildings as described above. Apparently the typography was by Nicholas Sloan.
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Aisbach: Verlaggaleria Leaman, n.d. (1982 or 1983)
Printed plastic and card folder with metal ring binder. Content of individual contributions and multiples by a wide range of artists (many from the fields of conceptual art, visual poetry and some of the Fluxus- affiliated artists). Paik here contributes 4pp offset reproductions of his sketchy drawings 'Moon is reaction to sun'; Knowles a map of 'bean troubles'; Finlay's work is 'Twin-sets', Cobbin has two fold-outs 'Triptych five' and 'Triptych six'; Michael Drucks a lithograph (Xerox) in plastic folder; Ruhm a numbers work: 'Zeitgedicht' from 1981 and Tot: a work on public demonstations complete with German police permission letter for a demonstration. Crozier's contribution is a series of drawings (Xerox). Scarce. VG+.
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Carlisle: Carlisle Museum & Art Gallery, 1982
14.7 x 10.5cm, 2pp card. One of five cards released during the exhibition ‘Presences of Nature’ - each with a painting by Ian Gardner. Here the illustration shows trees and a river with rain falling. Finlay's one word poem for this image and the main title of Drip-Dry is May. A very British obssesion with the weather. VG+.
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Carlisle: Carlisle Museum & Art Gallery, 1982
14.7 x 10.5cm, 2pp card. One of five cards released during the exhibition ‘Presences of Nature’ - each with a painting by Ian Gardner. Here the illustration shows mountains and a forest and moors. Finlay's one word poem for this image of moorland is marquetry and the look of the landscape does appear to be made up of veneers. VG+.
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Carlisle: Carlisle Museum & Art Gallery, 1982
14.7 x 10.5cm, 2pp card. One of five cards released during the exhibition ‘Presences of Nature’ - each with a painting by Ian Gardner. Here the illustration shows geese flying over a river estuary. The geese however are notes which part with one half ascending, the other descending. Finlay's one word poem for this image is Deep-V-Hull-Geese which creates a visual correspondence with a ship easily pushing waves aside because of its deep V hull. VG+.
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Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1982
61.0 x 30.5cm, brown and black on white offset lithograph. A month by month textual proposal for twelve embroidery "samplers" - each here a description of a tank in camouflage (relevant to the date) and a note of its divisional symbol - which is the relevant astrological sign for the date. A reminder of death lurking amongst the beauty of nature (hence a momento mori). VG+.
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Carlisle: Carlisle Museum & Art Gallery, 1982
14.7 x 10.5cm, 2pp card. One of five cards released during the exhibition ‘Presences of Nature’ - each with a painting by Ian Gardner. Here the illustration shows a ticket in close-up. Finlay's one word poem for this image is "Osiris" with beneath it the word "osiers'. The similarity in the words appeals to the poet and the Egyptian god Osiris was the god of agriculture and by extension fertile growth. Osiers is a type of willow that grows in the wet. VG+.
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Carlisle: Carlisle Museum & Art Gallery, 1982
14.7 x 10.5cm, 2pp card. One of five cards released during the exhibition ‘Presences of Nature’ - each with a painting by Ian Gardner. Here the illustration shows a country landscape at night. Finlay's one word poem for this image is "Curfew" with beneath it the word "curlew'. The similarity in the words appeals to the poet as well as the link between hearing the sound of a curlew (a wading bird) and nightfall about to come down. VG+.
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Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, (1982)
11.4 x 10.4cm,12pp and printed wrappers.
Artist's book with two quotations from Cholmeley and Burnet from Greek texts - the first is "a line of green among the trees" from Theocritis which Finlay claims is "Land Art in Theocritis" and the second from Empedokles referencing the idylls of Aphrodite as "A Fete Galante in Empedokles". The cover of the book is a b/w reproduction of an unidentified Watteau painting (who painted The Departure to Cytheria). The book ends with a quotation from Sol Lewitt: "One usually understands the art of the past by applying the conventions of the present - this mis-understanding the art of the past." Finlay had created many "homage" works where he celebrated the essence of many artists - this is the reverse, the modern celebrating the past but by deliberate misunderstanding. VG+>
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