IAN HAMILTON FINLAY

ARTIST’S POSTCARDS

CALENDAR. 1975.

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1975.
22.2 x 14.6cm, 8pp (single card folded twice) . A "calendar" designed by Laurie Clark for Finlay with each of the months being given new symbolism. For example, January has a drawing of "black bees and white bees", March is "glider-days", October - blue swan lake and December - the silent hive.
The use of symbols for each month is reminiscent of Le Calendrier Republican that was introduced on 24 October 1793 by the National Convention where the names of months were replaced with objects relevant for that season or month with the year beginning in March. Finlay/Clark's is less radical in that the names and dates of the months are not replaced but the symbolism is similar if more modern.VG+.

LAURIE CLARK

LYRES (1). 1976.

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1976.
15 x 10.5cm, 2pp. A photograph by Carl Heideken of a Oerlikon cannon below which the word LYRE has been added by Finlay. On the reverse of the card there is a Hereclitian quotation from Edward Hussey's book on the PreSocratics: "Applied to a lyre, harmone might refer to the structure of the unstrung lyre, or to that of the strung lyre whether tuned or not, or to that of the lyre tuned in a particular mode."
Visually an Oerlikon cannon's ammunition looks somewhat like the strings of a harp (lyre) so Finlay sees a visual correspondence between the gun and the musical instrument (both also make noise) and the classical quote notes the synthesis of the visual beauty of the weapon/instrument with its function. VG+.

Carl Heideken

MOTORING CHOCOLATE SOLDIER (PANZER GRENADIER). 1976.

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1976
11.3 x 16.6cm, 1pp. A photograph by Carl Heideken shows an actual chocolate soldier marching while carrying a heavy gun. Finlay equates this to the German Panzergrenadier who were the basic troops of the Panzergrenadiertruppe, their uniforms were often brown, famously the enlisted men were given chocolate bars (Scho-Ka-Kola) as part of their "Front Fighting Packages" when supplies arrived.

Carl Heideken

ADVENTURER (BATH). 1976.

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1976
15 x 10cm, 1pp. A line drawing by Laurie Clark of a ship steering towards the viewer with its name on the prow: it can be seen to be a model because of the large faucet to be found in the background.
Finlay was fond of making and playing with toy boats from early in his career. VG+.

LAURIE CLARK

SCOTTISH NATIONAL GALLERY OF MODERN ART SUNDIAL. 1976.

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1976
15 x 10.5cm, 2pp. A photograph by Dave Paterson of an installation of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art Sundial and an explanatory text below to explain the work in metaphysical and classical terms. VG+.

Dave Paterson

LYRES (2). 1977.

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1977
10.5 x 15.6cm, 2pp. A photograph by Carl Heideken of a Oerlikon cannon below which the word LYRE has been added by Finlay. On the reverse of the card there is a quotation from Jean Cocteau "With us, there is a house, a lamp, a plate of soup, a fire, wine and pipes art the back of every important work of art."
Visually the cannon's ammunition looks like the strings of a harp (lyre) so Finlay sees a visual correspondence between the gun and the musical instrument (both also make noise) and by adding the quote he is also suggesting that art may well be violent as well as based on the homely values of Cocteau. VG+>

Carl Heideken

IN MEMORIAM. “THE ROBERTS”. 1977.

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1977
12 x 9cm, 1pp. A list of seven painters are shown on a "in Memoriam" card. The first five of those named have had their Christian names changed to "Robert" whereas the last two - Robert Colquhoun and Robert MacBryde - have retained their real names ie Robert.
Finlay had met Colquhoun and Macbryde at Glasgow School of Art during the 40s at a time when they were the most feted of Scottish artists. Sadly both died early in the 60s (within 3 years of each other) - they were lovers - and were known by most as "The Two Roberts". By extending the roll call of "Roberts" Finlay is in some way placing his two acquaintances in the pantheon that includes Masson, Picabia, Ozenfant, Schwitters and Metzinger. VG+.

ACHTUNG! MINEN. 1977.

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1977
15 x 10.4cm, 2pp. A drawing by Michael Harvey of a gravestone with the title German text - Beware! Mines - and a skull and crossbones motif, it is covered in snow. This is a reference to the German attack on Russia which stumbled badly due to poor supply but also because of the vicious Russian weather. Much like Napolean's army before them, many died due to the cold conditions as they retreated back to their homelands. VG+.

MICHAEL HARVEY

AFTER THOMAS HEARNE. 1977. WITH A GET WELL NOTE FROM FINLAY.

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1977
15 x 10.7cm, 2pp. Two drawings by Gary Hincks of the same landscape with a large stately home in the distance.
The first drawing is labelled Palladian and the second drawing, which shows molehills disturbing the scene everywhere, is labelled Picturesque.
Thomas Hearne was a 17th century diarist and engraver of landscapes - and they were often in the style of the Picturesque.
The two scenes here are a jokey method of commenting on conflicting styles of drawing/landscaping and architecture, Palladian stressed austerity, classicism and symmetry whereas the Picturesque style emphasised nature and the natural. By including the molehills in the second drawing, Finlay is criticising the style in favour of his neo-classical tastes by making the realities of the wild a destructive force to beauty.
This example was sent by Finlay to Dawn MacLeod has a handwritten note "A wee "get well" top the recalcitrant wrist. Warm wishes, Ian" in black ink. VG+.

Gary Hincks

BETULA PENDULA. (SILVER BIRCH). 1977.

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1977
11.5 x 13.5cm, 2pp. The first of three cards which display a drawing (here by Gary Hincks) of an armoured tracked weapon from the second world war - this appears to be a US M7 Priest (from the double barrel) and it is camouflaged by the addition of tree branches on the sides (which one presumes are from birch trees). The birch is a tree that only grows from the East of Europe to the West but not South at all unless at high altitude (the tree does not like hot weather). This card reminds one - as with the other similar works - that even in the beauty of the countryside lurks death. As such it is a momento mori and not the first or last such work in Finlay's oeuvre. VG+.

Gary Hincks

BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC LIVINGSTON. 1977.

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1977
26.7 x 11.cm, 2pp. A photographic card with three images taken from Livingston Development Corporation of newly painted housing gable ends (the houses had just been built) and a Finlay public artwork on walls in the Scottish new town (a version of the concrete poem WAVE). The stripes on the wall reminded Finlay of the Dazzle camouflage used during the Battle of the Atlantic: the longest continuous military campaign of World War II which ran from 1939 to 1945. The WAVE work here clearly symbolising the sea and the two zig-zag paintings representing the British boats with their Wadsworth inspired hard edged paintings together is a visual metaphor for the sea battles between the British fleet, their defensive escorts and the German U-boats and battle ships.

TREE-SHELLS 3. 1977.

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1977
11.5 x 7cm, 4pp. Artist's card with a reproduced drawing of a tree by Bernard Lassus of a tree printed green on white and the text: "TREE-SHELLS. Instructions: Apply ear to Tree-shell. Listen for Lakes." The card can be used to create the same auditory illusion as holding a sea-shell to the ear if cupped close enough - hence bringing the sound of water (lakes) to the ear. This is the third of three cards with the same idea but with different illustrations by different collaborators. VG+

Bernard Lassus