IAN HAMILTON FINLAY

ARTIST’S BOOKS

AGGIE WESTON’S NO 2. VIEW OF STONEYPATH. 1973.

Belper: Aggie Weston's, 1973
25 x 20cm, 8pp plus card covers. Single number of Stuart Mill's publication which is entirely dedicated to photographs of Finlay's farm and the works taken by Mills. VG+

A FAMILY. 1973

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1973
15.2 x 11.6cm, 16pp plus card covers and printed dust jacket. Artist's book listing a series of forenames in facsimile of handwriting in red
The names are "Rufe Betty, Val, Tony, Kate, judy, Nick, Cherry, Jill, Jake, Nell, Emily, Zeke" which are all nicknames of world war aircraft.
"In the second half of 1942, a colorful set of code names was developed in the Southwest Pacific Theater by the Air Technical Intelligence Unit (ATIU) of the Allied Air Forces in Australia. The head of the unit, Captain Frank T. McCoy Jr. was from Nashville, Tennessee, and the first few code names were hillbilly names such as ZEKE, NATE, PETE, JAKE and RUFE, as they were simple, short and distinctive. The basic system spread rapidly, and by late 1942, was adopted for use by both the USAAF and USN. In general, the code names were assigned using the following system, although several exceptions exist:". Hence Finlay shows the various aircraft as a related family because of this familiar way of reference. VG+.
A 3 x 14cm, 1pp "bookmark" which has the name of the Press on it and a red circle - referencing the Japanese origin of these airplanes.

STRAIKS. 1973. WITH SIMON CUTTS.

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1973
9 x 7.5cm, 12pp plus card covers and printed dust jacket. Artist's book with Simon Cutts where similar sentences as subtly changes each illusrated by Sydney McK Glen with a landscape vignette. The sentences are "I prefer the streams of the mountains to the sea"/"I prefer the street of the mountains to the sea"/"I prefer the streaks of the mountains to the sea"/"I prefer the straiks of the mountains to the sea". The last work straiks is an unusual one - a less used version of the word stroke. Each slight change to the sentence gives a different poetic image of the landscape.
VG+ although the cheap staples are showing some rust.

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EXERCISE X. 1973.

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1973
14 x 9.5cm, 24pp plus card covers and printed dust jacket. Artist's book where Finlay has listed a number of scenarios where an X might be created - each slightly different. The pages being drawn by George L. Thomson.
From a letter to Robin Crozier in 1970 - Finlay explained the idea: "Finlay says "I must stress that I don't consider this booklet profound. Everyone knows that nuance exists. On the other hand, I get pleasure from showing how much one can change a thing while scarcely from the spot , as it were. If we make dramatic (moving) differences between the visual representations of the Xs, we will undermine the whole point. If, for instance, "Two" and "Duet" are just noticeably not the same 2 crossing lines, we can rely on the words to complete the distinction, without taking it further than that. Likewise, "Duck-pond" needn't really try to depict the wakes left by 2 swimming ducks, but just by the merest alteration in the lines, allows the words to modify the image. Though obviously, if we had a blue rectangle on white one, there, and could have the lines white instead of black that would be pleasing.".
Finlay initially intended printing the book in 1970 with Crozier but changed his mind later for some unknown reason. VG+ although the cheap staples are showing some rust.

A PRETTY KETTLE OF FISH. 1974. ONE OF 350 SIGNED & NUMBERED EXAMPLES.

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1974
11.7 x 12cm, 24pp (double folded and printed recto only) plus card covers and printed dustjacket. Artist's book with eight concrete and visual poems such as

ELEGY FOR A

wheelbarr w
o

The "o" becoming the single wheel of the barrow.
There are also images of a wooden sculpture of fish on a line made by Finlay himself. VG+
This is one of 350 signed and numbered copies on colophon.

SILHOUETTES. 1974.

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1974
29.6 x 12.8cm, 8pp plus card covers and dustjacket. Artist's book which has 8 silhouettes of boats or landscapes drawn by Laurie Clark. Each image has a two-part description underneath - such as HUSH-HUSH CRAFT - Vosper. Vosper according to Finlay was a service launch ie an open boat. The dj here has some spotting but else this is VG+.

THREE SUNDIALS. 1974. ONE OF 150 SIGNED & NUMBERED COPIES.

Exeter: The Rougemont Press, 1974
27 x 20cm, 16pp. Original pictorial card covers. Artist's book comprising three orange and brown offset designs for sundials (one is a centre-fold double page) and brown divider pages. Each is also a visual/concrete poem - for example the double page sheet has four boats - a clipper, a barque, a mumble bee (name of the boat rather than the type) and Snow - again a type of boat. The four sides of the sundial therefore has one each of these boats and represents the four seasons (Spring- clipper/Summer Mumble Bee/Autumn - wood barque and winter - wood snow) hence adding time passing through the year to the daily cycle of hours. This is one of only 150 signed by numbered copies. Near Fine.

HOMAGE TO ROBERT LAX. 1974. ORIGINAL PROOF COPY WITH HAND ALTERED TEXT, SIGNED BY FINLAY.

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1974
25.5 x 10.5cm, 12pp plus card covers and printed dustjacket. Artist's book after Robert Lax's style and typography - each page has a group of descending words (often hyphenated) - in order RICHT-HOFEN (in red) /REIN-HART (in black)/CRIM-SON/BLACK/then RICHT-HOFEN and REIN-HART then CRIM-SON and BLACK - the colours reflect the nickname of the Red Baron, and the minimalist black paintings of Reinhart, The combinations of the words changes the meaning of each page as subtle alterations to the word order infers new imagined images.
One the 5th page Finlay has noted that this proof has missed out a hyphen and he has written on that page thus, On the last colophon page has the word Proof written by Finlay in blue ink and the page is signed. VG+. An unique copy.

SNOW SAIL DROP FLAKE. 1974.

N.p. (Nailsworth): Moschatel Press, 1975
10.2 x 5.7cm, 4pp green outer cover and bound in (string) is a folded white sheet with the vertical four word text "SNOW SAIL DROP FLAKE". A visual poem with the double meaning of the fall of a sail (a Snow is also a type of boat) and the fall of a snow flake. VG+ . Rather scarce.
JOINT:
Original printed envelope.

AIRS WATERS GRACES. 1975

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1975
26 x 17cm, 16pp. Original card covers and printed dust jacket. Artist's book comprising 9 b/w drawings by Ron Costley - some are military vehicles or ships with classical allusions by Finlay added (many of which become sculptures and prints). Two show sundials (including Venus of the Hours which is a visual pun on female sexuality) which is another Finlay interest. Finlay often saw parallels between classical stories and modern war machines. Here, for instance, Earth/Air/Fire/Water/Time is a drawing of an aircraft carrier (which Finlay believed was symbolic of the four classical elements) moving across a sylised map which resembles a sun dial - thus bringing in the 5th aspect of reality - Time. One of 350 copies printed - this is an unsigned or numbered copy. Near fine.

SO YOU WANT TO BE A PANZER LEADER. 1975

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1975
12.8 x 10.2cm, 16pp. Original card covers and dust jacket with title and drawing. Artist's book comprising a series of question and answers - a supposed "test" to see if the applicant can be a Panzer leader. The answers are not supplied. Drawing of tanks in landscapes by Laurie Clark. This has a small stain top left on the dj - else VG. one of the harder Finlay books to find..

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