07 Jun

Posted at 17:24h in Artist's Books

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1975
26 x 17cm, 16pp. Original card covers and printed dust jacket. Artist's book comprising 9 b/w drawings by Ron Costley - some are military vehicles or ships with classical allusions by Finlay added (many of which become sculptures and prints). Two show sundials (including Venus of the Hours which is a visual pun on female sexuality) which is another Finlay interest. Finlay often saw parallels between classical stories and modern war machines. Here, for instance, Earth/Air/Fire/Water/Time is a drawing of an aircraft carrier (which Finlay believed was symbolic of the four classical elements) moving across a sylised map which resembles a sun dial - thus bringing in the 5th aspect of reality - Time. One of 350 copies printed - this is an unsigned or numbered copy. Near fine.

...

25 May

Posted at 16:17h in Object + Paper Multiples

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 19975
3 x4.5cm, copper and brass plated aluminium medallion with chain. With a design by Ron Costley (which originally was created for the exhibition Heroic Emblems) of a tank above which the title text - a reference to Zeus and his lightning bolts is set. The original quote comes from Heraclitus: "the Thunderbolt that steers the course of all things".
All of the Heroic Emblems showed modern machines (mostly of war) in reference to Classical myths. Originally boxed with leaflet but this example does not have those elements. Edition size not known but very hard to find.

...

25 Apr

Posted at 16:25h in Object + Paper Multiples

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 19975
3.5cm, dia. copper and brass plated aluminium medallion with chain. With a design by Ron Costley (which originally was created for the exhibition Heroic Emblems) of an aircraft carrier with a plane taking off from the deck. The original drawing relates to the USS Enterprise at the battle of Midway where the Japanese fleet was destroyed by the Americans. Finlay sees the aircraft carrier as typifying the classical elements of air, earth, sky, water and fire.
All of the Heroic Emblems showed modern machines (mostly of war) in reference to Classical myths. With original box and 14.5 x 14.5cm, 1pp (folded twice) leaflet with a commentary by Stephen Bann. Edition size not known but very hard to find.

...

20 Mar

Posted at 12:52h in Object + Paper Multiples

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1975
3.5cm, dia. copper and brass plated aluminium medallion with chain. With a design by Ron Costley (which originally was created for the exhibition Heroic Emblems) of the smoke issued by the aircraft carriers to reduce visibility to enemy planes and helicopters during the battle of Midway The text borrows from the opening lines of Dante's 'Divine Comedy': 'In the middle of the journey of our life ('Midway'), I came to myself in a dark wood". The dark wood here is a smoke, This is based on a Costley drawing for the book "Heroic Emblems" and is one of four Finlay medals based on those original collaborative illustrations.
All of the Heroic Emblems showed modern machines (mostly of war) in reference to Classical myths. With original box and 14.5 x 14.5cm, 1pp (folded twice) leaflet with a commentary by Stephen Bann. Edition size not known but very hard to find.

...

30 Nov

Posted at 15:03h in Artist's Postcards

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1974.
6 x 24cm, 4pp (printed internally with asymmetric fold such that part of the card is hidden until opened). Artist's postcard with a drawing by Ron Costley of seven swans - the first 6 are made up from number "2"s and the hidden last one is a "7". A visual poem. VG+.

...

28 Aug

Posted at 15:58h in Artist's Postcards

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1974.
12.7 x 77cm, 8pp. Artist card which opens out to show a calligraphic design using the German word for ship (Schiff) which is printed black and blue in reflection to give the impression of a boat on water (with the fold being the water level). A lovely graphic by Ron Costley who was one of Britain's greatest typographers and one of Finlay's longest lasting collaborators. One of 350 signed and numbered copies. VG+.

...

26 Jun

Posted at 16:03h in Prints + Posters

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1987
27.9 x 20.9cm, brown on white laid paper silkscreen with a drawing by Ron Costley after Finlay's instructions of a cross section of an aircraft carrier with airplanes and plan from above of the landing strip. Just as certain fruit gourds carry their seeds only at the right moment to discard them to the air so does this weapon of war. One of 350 copies in a light card folder which is signed and numbered in pencil on the back by Finlay. Slight crease bottom left through both folder and print.

...

20 Jul

Posted at 16:52h in Prints + Posters

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1973
30 x 21cm, 4pp with silver and black on white lithograph on the front, content of two sheets - one light blue typing paper and the other a lined "STATIONERY" page much as used by children to line up their handwriting on a blank page (such as the blue sheet). The work plays in part on the homonym "stationery" (stationary). The lined paper visually is also much like a channel or a canal with parallel banks. Button's front cover drawing is minimal and of a boat in outline cutting through the water with an ever-widening wake behind it. This is one of 300 signed and numbered copies in green ink by Finlay. VG+.

...

07 May

Posted at 19:29h in Artist's Postcards

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1973
7.9 x 11.3cm, 6pp single folding card which opens to 11.2 x 34.3ccm. The front of the card has the word COPYRIGHT and once the card is opened the drawing by Costley of a steamer has a red C on the funnel - a symbol that means "copyright". A company brand symbol used to indicate others had copied the boat. This is one of only 300 such card printed - each is numbered and signed by Finlay in ink.VG+ example

...

04 Jan

Posted at 17:16h in Artist's Postcards

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1973.
10.2 x 10.2cm, 2pp - with a drawing of a tug by Ron Costley. The drawing is accompanied by the words Der Tag in a Germanic script - the German word for tug.VG+.

...

10 Dec

Posted at 18:22h in Page Works & Contributions

Epping: The Ember Press, 1972
21 x 15cm, 168pp. Original card covers. A single number of this poetry review - there is an article on Scottish poetry which fails to mention Finlay while claiming McDiarmid is the greatest (then) British living poet - something which must have thrilled Finlay given they had fallen out in the 60s. The cover however reproduces Finlay and Ron Costley's GOURD. A discussion on Gourd can be found in the print section of this Finlay website.

...

22 Jun

Posted at 12:21h in Prints + Posters

Dunsyre: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1972
38 x 51cm black on grey silkscreen with a drawing of the Nazi Admiral Hipper-class heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen by Ron Costley. Prinz Eugen served with Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.
The work is a "homage" to the concrete poet Eugen Gomringer - and by the correspondence of the entitled ship with the artist, FInlay is suggesting Gomringer is a prince amongst poets. One of 300 signed and numbered prints.

...

Shopping cart0
There are no products in the cart!
Continue shopping