IAN HAMILTON FINLAY

UNIQUE WORKS

LOOK, SEE. 1962. POSSIBLY UNIQUE SIGNED TYPSCRIPT TO VICTOR VASARELY. POSSIBLY FINLAY’S FIRST EVER CONCRETE POEM.

N.p:. s.p. (Finlay), Christmas 1962
20.3 x 17.4cm, original typescript on typing paper - with an original poem entitled "Look, see" - the first work by Finlay that may well be identified as a visual or concrete poem that we know of. The text- :: "A star ah afar a ww ww wan wan" is similar to other more traditional works by Finlay of the time which used modern day Scots vernacular but the placing of the words one above each other connected by vertical lines (which would have taken some care in construction) give an additional meaning to the text - indicating the act of looking up at a star. The context of being a Xmas gift to Victor Vasarely (the letter is signed to him) gives this work a slight religious overtone.
The letter is hand typed but there was probably more than one made as the "Happy Christmas to" and "from" parts are typed and the name later hand written in by Finlay suggesting others to other friends were made but we have never seen another example of this work. This has been glued at some point in an album (there are paper lacks in the corners of the page where it has been removed and it is somewhat browned but this is an important and quite possibly unique document.

Victor Vaserely

NET CORK. 1968. UNIQUE GLASS ETCHING.

50 x 40cm, stone etched glass with a design by Finlay based on one of the Blue and Brown Poems on custom wooden base. One of the earliest of Finlay glass works which is similar in structure to the prints Net Ring or Sea Poppy. VG+ condition.

DOCUMENTS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CEOFRITH 5 INCLUDING ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHS AND GALLERY PROOFS. 1970.

A collection of original papers, gallery proofs and the original photographs used for the production of the Ceolfrith Nr 65 publication which was the first major monograph on the poet and Stoneypath (later Little Sparta). The groop consists of:
The outer folder address by Finlay to Christopher Carrell at Ceofrith Bookshop; A hand drawn design for the poster for the exhibition with texts by Finlay in his own handwriting - we have never seen this poster and do not know if it was ever printed;
A text handwritten by Finlay for the blurb promotion the book;
A biography of Diane Tammes the photographer whose images were used in the book written by Finlay in his own hand;
The original typescript unused galley sheets reproducing the texts Finlay sent;
Eight original b/w photographs by Tammes used in the production showing Finlay sailing in his boat, flying toy gliders, sailing his model boats, in situ large sculptures and a kite. These were all taken in Stoneypath for the intent of publishing this book. Possibly unique and certainly vintage prints.
All in all an unique and important collection which shows the methods of production of one of Finlay's most important publications.

Diane Tammes

A WATERLILY POOL. 1970. TWO CARDS WITH HANDMADE ADDITIONS BY FINLAY. POSSIBLE PROPOSAL FOR A SCULPTURE?

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1970 Two separate artist's cards - both 15 x 10.5cm, 2pp. Each with annotations by hand by Finlay. The printed aspect of each card has a drawing by Gardner on the front of a floating water lily. the text below “A WATERLILY POOL/h’arbour” reminds one of the way the leaves in a water lily can enclose a space of water and also a shelter for small insects or even fish – hence an arbour of sorts. One one of the two cards Finlay has drawn a curved line in pencil and verso the text in blue ink: "Idea of Arbour + Harbour [L'arbour] and on the other card some lines and a grid over the image. Thee cards came from the archive of Maxwell Allan who was one of Finlay's collaborators and it is not clear if these additions are part of a discussion about a possible sculpture or just explanatory. The grid lines might suggest the former, the text the latter. In any case a unique pair of these cards. Both VG+.

SSN 571. UNIQUE FABRIC SCULPTURE – PROTOTYPE FOR AN UNREALISED MULTIPLE. EARLY 1983.

This is a fully developed handmade prototype for a tea-cozy mulltiple, approx. it was never actually put into production but made in the early 1980s on Finlay's instruction.
Constructed of hand- stitched, quilted, mauve satin in the shape of a battleship the letters and numbers “SSN 571” in silver fabric and are sewn onto both sides.
Three cylindrical finger-like pieces of mauve satin protrude from the top perhaps suggesting some type of armour and/or navigation devices or even a missile launch; there are two multi-colored patches sewn to each side of the front suggesting windows.
There is a small WHP identification sticker loosely adhered at the inside the top of the prototype.
To the best of our knowledge, this unique fabric sculpture, acquired by Trevor Winkfield from Ian Hamilton Finlay in the summer of 1983, was not produced as an edition.
The reference letters identify this work as representing HMS Nautilius - the first ever submarine powered by nuclear power. There is a lovely correspondence between the submarine body surrounding the energy source and a tea cosy with warm tea at its heart fuelling the body corporeal.

Trevor Winkfield

DZAEZL. UNIQUE GLASS ETCHING. 1980s?

57 x 10 x 44cm, etched glass on custom made wooden stand. The concrete poem is made up of a number of anagrams of the word "DAZZLE" although the word itself is not found on the etched glass plate. This is an unique sculptural version of a poem first published in 1979 as an artist's book by Finlay. The Dazzle ships were battleships in the second world war where zigzag patterns were painted on the side to help camouflage the outlines of the vessel. By showing all of the mixed up letters but not the original word Finlay is creating a visual poem abstracting the real life boats. We do not know the date of this work - we suspect it is from the 1980s. In VG+ condition,

THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF IAN HAMILTON FINLAY. RUBBER STAMPED ENVELOPE. 1986.

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1986
Folded empty DL manilla envelope with black rubber stamp impression with the text: "THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF IAN HAMILTON FINLAY".
This was an original small work sent by Finlay to Peter Townsend. It is a comment on Finlay's fight with Catherine Millet who bizarrely and wrongly accused Finlay of being an anti-semite. The envelope of course had no facts inside it - which was Finlay's view of his accuser's arguments. Unique thus. We presume other such envelopes were created given that Finlay had the rubber stamp made but we have never seen another example.

Catherine Millet

SAILS FY27. UNIQUE SCULPTURAL WORK. 1998.

43 x 57 x 15cm, stone with red paint. Executed in 1998. Unique sculpture with a relief image displaying the sails of a boat that has been “patched”. This work relates to similar works by Finlay including postcards and prints where the patching of a sail is compared to that of a poor person’s clothing - but also references Picasso’s harlequins with their colourful divisions of clothing and patches on windmill sails. The work was created for IHF after his instruction by Andrew Whittle.
The work comes with the original custom made painted wood stand and base - c. 150 x 65 x 20cm.
Previously exhibited at
Barcelona, Fundacio Joan Miró, 'Ian Hamilton Finlay: Variations on Different Themes', February - March 1999
St Ives, Tate St Ives, 'Ian Hamilton Finlay, Maritime Works', March - June 2002
Edinburgh, Ingleby Gallery, 'Ian Hamilton Finlay', June - July 2009
Purchased from Frank and Lorna Dumphy Collection via auction and prior sale from the artist to the collection via Ingleby Gallery in 2001

Andrew Whittle

ENHRENTEMPLE.

17 x 17 x 10cm, block of four etched stones on a marble base. An unique work with stylised Greek ionic columns holding a "frieze" with the words around the stones:

how blue! how far! how sad! how small! how white!

The texts are exclamations about a horizon where the sky meets the ground and a reminder how great forces are at work in the natural world hence this is a Romantic work.
This is an unique small work and not a maquette for a larger work.
There are small scratches and chips in the blocks but overall it is still in VG condition. We are not aware of the date of this work - we believe in the early 2000s.