Unoriginal Sins |

IMPENDING NAVIGATION BRIGHT. A CATCH OF POEMS ABOUT THE SHIPPING FORECAST. 1994. ONE OF 100 NUMBERED COPIES.

paul robertson — Fri, 22 Apr 1994 08:07:19 +0000

PEAR, N. A PARADIGM OF LIMIT. 1986.

paul robertson — Fri, 26 Sep 1986 09:44:48 +0000

Glasgow: Hughson Gallery, 1986
10.5 x 15cm, 4pp. Gallery issued postcard (who represented Margot Sandeman) with a reproduction of a painting by the artist based on a poem / "definition work" by her friend, and oft collaborator, Finlay. Each of the works had his original typed poem glued onto the canvas and Finlay later signed all the works on the back of the canvass to given them the status of a work by himself. There were c. 12 such paintings made.
These works were forgotten about until a visit to Sandeman by Paul Robertson in c. 2008 brought them to his notice. Sandeman agreed to exhibit the works at Robertson's gallery and to produce an artist's book together reproducing the works. However within a week of Robertson's visit Richard Demarco found out about the paintings via his assistant who had also visited Sandeman and Demarco went to the artist (who he had known for many years) and took the works away with him when he left. Robertson was not able to exhibit them or publish the book. They were later exhibited posthumously to Sandeman's sad death at Summerhall by Demarco - ironically at a time when Robertson was the visual arts curator for the building.
VG+ - an unknown artist's card presumably because it was not published with Finlay's knowledge. Very scarce.

PETERHEAD FRAGMENTS. 1979.

paul robertson — Fri, 24 Aug 1979 13:25:10 +0000

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, n.d. (1979)
15 x 21cm, 12pp plus printed wrappers. Illustrated by Margot Sandeman, the names of 19 fishing boats (eg Odysseus, Traveller, Illustrious and others found in the Olsen's Fisherman's Nautical Almanack) are combined by Finlay to give a visual poem of the trials and journeys of Odysseus printed black over Sandeman's light brown line drawings of nature, animals, vegetation and fish. The tale ends: "188, 190. Viking Warrior Supreme." VG+.

CATCHES. 1971.

paul robertson — Mon, 11 Oct 1971 21:30:51 +0000

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1971
11.2 x 11.4cm, 4pp. Artist's card with a reproduced drawing by Margot Sandeman of the child's game of conkers on strings and a leaf from the horse chestnut tree. Inside the card is the text: "CATCHES. A big catch is a wee consolation. (After Paul Klee)." VG+.

PROMOTIONAL LEAFLET FOR 30 SIGNATURES FOR SILVER CATCHES. 1971.

paul robertson — Sat, 17 Apr 1971 20:07:38 +0000

Nottinghams: Tarasque Press, 1971
21 x 15cm, 1pp. Green on white offset lithographic subscription leaflet for the artist's book with Margot Sandeman. VG+.

30 SIGNATURES TO SILVER CATCHES. 1971. ONE OF 300 SIGNED & NUMBERED COPIES.

paul robertson — Sun, 24 Jan 1971 11:08:02 +0000

Nottinghams: Tarasque Press, 1971
7.5 x 22cm, 76pp with one fold out page. Original card wrappers with pictorial dust jacket designed by Margot Sandeman. This artist's book consists of appropriated fisherman's slips (the paper slips put on boxes of fish to identify the seller) which are one and two word poems in this form. One of 300 signed and numbered copies. VG+. Murray 3.38.

ARCADIAN SUNDIALS. 1970

paul robertson — Sun, 11 Oct 1970 13:37:30 +0000

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1970
10.5 x 15cm, 4pp. Artist's postcard with a line drawing by Margot Sandeman of a garden gate and various flowers.
The text inside the card reads:

"ARCADIAN SUNDIALS. All Times on these sundials are Solar Time."

The elements of the garden all cast shadows and can be regarded as measures of solar time. This card is signed "love from Margot (Sandeman)" in ink and is else VG+.
With original unprinted postal envelope.

FISHING NEWS NEWS. 1970.

paul robertson — Sat, 18 Jul 1970 23:03:23 +0000

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1970
7.2 x 10.2cm, 14pp. Concertina folded single sheet printed on both sides. Each image is an appropriated headline from the trade journal Fishing News - the headlines are more poetic when isolated from their origins. For example "Fishermen turn to mackerel" alters the story from a decision to change fishing strategy to that of a sea myth. Some of the works show here were published as individual artist's postcards also by the Wild Hawthorn Press. VG. There is a line drawing by Margot Sandeman at the second page of the publication.
One could make the case that this is a folded card rather than an artist's book but traditionally Murray has it in the artist's books section of his catalogue raisonee and we have decided to accept that catagorising with some reservations.

RHYMES FOR LEMONS. 1970.

paul robertson — Wed, 18 Feb 1970 21:51:02 +0000

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1970
11.6 x 21cm, 30pp. Card covers with printed dust wrapper. Artist's book - with 16pp (recto only, leporello). A series of drawings by Sandeman of boats along with their names (thirteen in all). This is one of only 300 copies - of which each is numbered and signed by Finlay. Finlay often uses the image of a lemon in water as a metaphor for a boat. Slight browning on on edge else VG.

LANES. 1969.

paul robertson — Sat, 18 Oct 1969 21:34:17 +0000

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1969
21.1 x 9cm, 30pp. Card covers with printed dust wrapper. Artist's book with two small drawings by Margot Sandeman. Each page has a two word poem printed in red and green based on combinations of the words Red, Roof, Wild, Rose, Blown, Tile until the last two words when the word White is added. There is a tale of sorts - the building has a red roof and it is blown away, a red rose is also replaced by a white rose. In some manner the petals of a rose are compared with a roof of a house.

3 NAMES OF BARGES. 1969.

paul robertson — Sun, 16 Mar 1969 10:04:41 +0000

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1969
16.5 x 12cm, 2pp. The card has a reproduced drawing by Margot Sandeman of boats and overlaid is a text which lists three names OF barge – Ethel Maud, Lapwing, Spinaway C and the four name FOR barges – Bramble, Titch, Typhoo, Prettypolly. The former are presumably existing names, the latter names that Finlay would like to allocate.

Murray has this as Card 4.18.

POTH (POOR OLD TIRED HORSE) NR 15. 1965.

paul robertson — Thu, 15 Jul 1965 12:39:27 +0000

Ardgay, Ross-shire; Wild Hawthorne Press, 1965
26 x 21cm, 8pp. The fifteenth number of Finlay’s poetry publication with contributions by Margot Sandeman who provided drawings for the entire publication, George Mackay Brown, Eli Siegel, Edwin Morgan Ian Hamilton Finlay, Hamish McLaren, Theodore Enslin, Libby Houston and R.L. Cook. VG+ condition Scarce.