Cambridge: Meantime, n.d. (1977)
25.5 x 20.5 cm, 80pp. Blue typographic wrappers. A single number of this literary magazine with contributions by John Stezaaker and others but here notable for a 14 page version of Heroic Emblems by Ian Hamilton Finlay with illustrations by Ron Costley and commentaries by Stephen Bann.
Vermont: Z Press, 1977
23 x 16cm, 152pp. Original card covers. Poetry anthology edited by Kenward Elmslie.
Finlay contributes Carrier Strike by Finlay and Carl Heideken. Twenty pages (all printed recto) of photographs of toys made by Finlay (mostly boats and military machines) and a title page.
This is a substantial work by Finlay and often forgotten in his milieu. The ironing board that the toy planes are arranged on is denoted as "an aircraft carrier". This example is signed in green ink by Finlay in full on the title page of his section. Murray 8.9
London: Editions Poetry, 1979
24.5 x 18.8cm, 112pp plus original colour printed wrappers. the first number of this poetry and literature review which is notable for a full colour pull out of a reproduced lithograph by Graham Sutherland and work by Ted Hughes, Alan Brownjohn, Bernard Gutteridge, Iris Murdoch, Bob Dylan, Craig Raine, and many others. For our interest however the back cover is a reproduction of Finlay's rare print Le Circus! A VG+ copy.
Crown Point Press, 1982
26 x 21cm, two part folding portfolio box with tipped on label. Vision is a monographic journal of contemporary art edited and curated by Tom Marioni. This boxed catalog of artists' photo reproductions, each printed on glossy heavy weight paper. Artists include Vito Acconci, John Baldessari, John Cage, Joan Jonas, Sol LeWitt, Ricahrd Tuttle, Richard Long, Dorothea Rockburne as well as Ian Hamilton Finlay. who has an untitled view of a tree with a swastica band and an axe sculpture. Limited edition but edition size is not noted. VG+ in like box.
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+.
Noordwijk: MW Press 28, January 1983
38 x 28cm, 20pp. Artist's journal in the form of a tabloid newspaper which here has an 8pp contribution by Finlay in Nicolas Sloan's facsimile handwriting. Also has "an illustrated history of the Little Sparta Wars" along with a "diary" and reproductions of two letters. The paper is fragile due to being very cheap and is unavoidable browned. Folded for storage. Very scarce.
Manchester: PN Review, 1983
29.5 x 21cm, 64pp plus wrappers. A single number of this poetry and literature review - here with a major article with 45 small b/w photographs and an anonymous text by (probably by Finlay). Useful and interesting documentation. VG+.
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.
Noordwijk: MW Press 28, January 1983
38 x 28cm, 20pp. Artist's journal in the form of a tabloid newspaper which here has an 3pp contribution by Finlay - three full pages of "mean terms" - those of Wildflower, Net, Shadow and Sackcloth. The paper is fragile due to being very cheap and is unavoidable browned. Folded for storage. Very scarce.
Cambridge: Kettle's Yard, 1986
21 x 15cm, 56pp. Original wrappers . An exhibition catalogue for a show of artist's books which included Christian Boltanski, Annette Messager, John Latham, Anslem Kiefer and Finlay amongst others. Short texts on each artist. This is more notable however for the bound in 14 x 8cm, 8pp original artist's book by Finlay (which was also published elsewhere by the Wild Hawthorn Press) - Two Billows - from 1980. The blue booklet has on one side of the centre pages the text: "greeness, leaf or bark: and on the other "greeness, leaf or barque" - this changes the image from a tree being blown around to that of a boat being pushed by the wind. We are placing this item in the Page Works & Contributions section but it could be equally be found in artist's books or exhibition catalogues. VG+.
London: Coracle, 1989
12 x 17.5cm, 60pp plus pictorial boards. A festschrift for Jonathan Williams's 60th birthday. More than three dozen contributors include: Ian Hamilton Finlay, Gael Turnbull, Glen Baxter, R.B. Kitaj, Thomas A. Clark, Richard Caddel, Roy Fisher, Charles Tomlinson, Basil Bunting, Eric Mottram, and Sandra Fisher.
Finlay's contribution is a single page:
Aram Saroyan pays Homage
to Jonathan Williams
on his 60th Birthday.
undoubtedly
avant-
garde
Aram Saroyan was known for his minimalist works and Finlay here parodies the style in honour of his friend Williams. VG+.
Edinburgh: Morning Star Press, 1994
21 x 15cm, gatefold outer orange folder content of a 18 x 12cm, 10pp (single folded sheet) with page contributions by Finlay, Gael Turnbull, Tessa Ransford, George MacKay Brown, Ian Stephen, Edwin Morgan, Peter Larkin, Richard Price, Peter Dent and a cover illustrated by Margot Sandeman with text by Bridget Penney. The shipping forecast is a nightly and morning broadcast on the BBC which tells the weather for shipping in the various seas around Great Britain but it has iconic status as many peopel who are not fishermen listen to it because the names of the various weather stations are somewhat poetic in themselves. Finaly here contributes a short work:<BR?
LATE NIGHT SHIPPING FORECAST
A shoal
of names
in nets
of rain
Where the weather station names are compared to a fishing catch held together by a net of rain.
The Morning Star Press was the publishing house of Alex Finlay son of Ian. One of 100 hand numbereed copies. Scarce. VG+.
Firenze: Zona Archives, 1995 15 x 10.5cm, 36pp plus card covers and printed dust jacket. Monograph and review of international concrete poetry written by Maurizio Nannucci and Gabriele Detterer. Contains pageworks by most of the proponents of the genre - Mons, Gappmayr, de Vries, Kriwet, Spatola, Gomringer, Williams, de Campos, Mayer and Finlay's "Acrobat" in its b/w version is reprinted also. VG+.
Edinburgh: City of Edinburgh, 1962
21 x 15cm, 24pp plus card covers. This is a pretend stamp collection album released at the time fo the title exhibition in the City Arts Centre Edinburgh. Edited by Eck Finlay there are contributions by Ian Hamilton ,Robin Gillanders, David Bellingham, Finlay and Edwin Morgan and others. Inserted inside the book is a paper and plastic envelope complete with twelve small sheets of cinderella stamps. This is complete and unused - one of 500 copies printed but is strangely very hard to find. VG+.
