Karl Torok - Unoriginal Sins

27 Jan NATIONAL FLAGS SERIES: CYTHERA. 1975.

Posted at 13:07h in Artist's Postcards

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1975.
10.5 x 15cm, 2pp. The one of a series of "National Flags" created by Finlay - here a rectangle with cross hatching in green and light yellow. Cytheria is a reference to several things - the mythical country, the painting "Journey to Cytheria" which Finlay has created prints and works about before and less known a bee which has green and yellow stripes. The colours nonetheless have the feel of those of an island landscape (vegetation and sand) and that is probably the more likely visual correspondence here. A flag for a desirable place to visit. VG+.

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20 Jul LANDSCAPE/INTERIOR. 1973.

Posted at 16:11h in Artist's Postcards

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1973.
8.8 x 19.3cm, 2pp. Artist card with two drawings by Torok which consists of a pink and blue rectangle with horizontal lines denoted as landscape. The second square has the same colouring but has vertical stripes and is labelled Interior. The latter being an image of wallpaper and the former horizons and fields. VG+.

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10 Feb FAMILY GROUP. 1973.

Posted at 16:29h in Prints + Posters

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1973
16 × 26.5cm, printed white outer folder content of a 16 × 26.5cm offset lithograph with an additional sheet with a key to the drawing. Karl Torok created a drawing of a topiary landscape for Finlay and each element is identifies as a member of a land-owning extended family and its staff eg Gardner, Cook, Great-Uncle William, Mama, Emily & Rose. It may be that this is an actual family portrait of sorts or a metaphor for how elements of a formal garden might be seen as related to each other. What is noticeable is that the father/mother and children are in the centre of the work and the more distant family and staff tend to be found at the sides. VG+.

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27 Jul THE WASHINGTON FOUNTAIN. 1972. ONE OF ONLY 38 SIGNED & NUMBERED COPIES.

Posted at 15:39h in Prints + Posters

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1972
25 x 34.5cm, grey-green on white offset lithograph with a drawing by Karl Torok of a garden sculpture which has a hidden fountain and water is sprayed out of the side of the cruiser - much as if it was draining its bilges. In printed card folder on which the print is signed and Numebred in pencil by Finlay.
Slight bumping to left of both print and folder but overall VG and very are.

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