Victor Vaserely - Unoriginal Sins

14 Dec NETS NIGHT STAR FISH. 1964. WITH HAND WRITTEN XMAS GREETINGS TO VICTOR VASERELY FROM FINLAY..

Posted at 16:23h in Artist's Postcards

Edinburgh: Wild Hawthorn Press, n.d. (1964)
16.3 x 27.9cm, 1pp. Printed blue and orange on off white card. An extremely early Xmas card sent out privately by Finlay to friends and associates. The work is a concrete poem which contains recognisable early themes by the poet - the words all relate to the experience of commercial but small scale night time fishing in Scotland - the nets, the star, the fish all can be found in the shape of a constellation (later similar works build on this idea). This card on the back has a handwritten greeting "Happy Christmas to Victor (Vaserely) from Ian" and the date 1964. The latter is important because else this card is unknown in the literature and the date would be unknown.
Former folded in the middle and some stains but this is a rarity amongst Finlay artist postcards.

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

Posted at 17:40h in Unique Works

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.

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