Finlay, Ian Hamilton, 1925-2006
Nationality
Scottish
Found in 18 Collections and/or Records:
Arcadian Gliders, 1981
Consists of a boxed set of nine papercard model gliders to be cut from the prints. Each glider has been embellished with a military decal of the countries that fought World War II along with the name of a garden plant that has been printed on the rear wing. This was published in an unlimited edition. William Allen comments: Outer box made by the cult small press publisher Brian Lane. Box contains bag of elastic bands, nine silkscreen prints of different Arcadian glider kits and an instruction booklet. "Each airplane is embellished with a military decal and the name of an appropriate common garden feature has been printed on the rear wing. When the airplanes have been constructed, they may either be displayed together as a squadron or, if you have access to a garden, they should be carefully placed in the relevant spot to act as markers or name tags and a pleasing focus of interest for when the flowers are out of season." -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.
Arrosoir, 1984
Arrosoir means watering-can, a still-life depicted on this card. The caption under this image states, "The Robespierrists were guillotined on Arrosoir, Watering-can, in Thermidor, Month of Heat (Republican Calendar, 1792-1806). Baveuf described Robespierre as 'the genius in whom resided truly regenerative ideas...' The image of the watering can is depicted with a black ribbon. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.
Beat the Reds with the White Wedge: Correspond!, 1984
The poem, on folded white paper shaped like an arrow, contains the message printed in red, "Beat the Reds with the White Wedge: Correspond!" This slogan has been modified from El Lissitzky's revolutionary poster, "Beat the Whites with the Red Wedge." It refers to an appeal to write in his support regarding his contemporaneous tax dispute. It does not appear to be referenced in the Finlay bibliographies. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.
Every Goal Negates. Ludwig Feuerbach, 1985
Kamikaze Butterflies - Cherry Blossom Splinters, 1973
Finlay combines line images of airplanes with analogies to butterflies and a cherry blossom. This work consists of a folded sheet of light blue, blank tissue paper containing a second, slightly smaller, folded sheet of white tissue paper with line drawings of aeroplanes and text (in blue). -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.
Reap The Sac Faction, 1985
The message deals with enlisting help for Finlay's despute with the local tax collectors. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.
S.A.C./A.C.G.B./K.G.B., 1978
The acronym signifies Arts Council of Great Britain, Scottish Arts Council, and the K.G.B. (Russian secret police). -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.
Saint-Just Sundial Badge, 1981
Depicts sundial with the caption "Too Many Laws Too Few Examples." -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.
Taschenbuch der Panzer, 1981
The eight colored prints play off the image of the Pansey, the flower as a camouflaged image of Panzer, the German armored tank. A section of this book is entitled, "Detached Sentances on Camouflage: In the Manner of Shenstone. William Snenstone (1714-1763) was a poet and gardner. This list aphorisms about floral and military tank camouflage. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.
Temple, n, 1984
Temple denotes the exhibition space at Finlay's residence. The caption under an image of a Greek temple includes a definition, a quote from The Metamorphosis of Ovid, and the storming of Finlay's Temple by the Strathclyde region tax collectors who launched a surprise attack on Budget day, March 15, and successfully looted the garden TEMPLE. The definition is "a marbled edifice, a veined edifice; the seat or summit of reason." -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.
Terror/Virtue, 1983
The leaflet provides an explanation for the image on the medal. Virtue is signified by two classical columns and terror by the two posts of the Guillotine. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.
The First Battle of Little Sparta, February 4, 1983 (Flute, Begin with Me), 1984
The medal depicts an automatic machine gun as a metaphor for a flute; commemorates first episode of an assult by the Strathclyde Region tax collectors on Finlay's home. The leaflet accompanyimg this medal commemorating the incident is a visual pun on Virgil's flute, with the vents in the barrel-sleeve as the finger-stops. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.
The Marble Arrow, 1984
The card is shaped like an arrow and has been made from marbled paper, a pun on the poem printed along an inside fold, "The Marble Arrow Always Hits Its Mark!" -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.
Thermidor, 1994
Stephan Bann provides an explanation of the poem in the accompanying leaflet as follows. Thermidor was the month in the French Revolutionary calendar when the summer heat was its most intense, and the grain at its ripest. It was also the month, in 1794, when Robespierre and his followers met their deaths at the guillotine. In the image of this poem, the abrupt cleavage of the word, THER MIDOR, and of the figured sheaf of flowers, suggest the termination of the revolution in its Jacobian sense. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.
Through a Dark Wood/Midway, 1976
Relates to the World War II battle of Midway. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.
Through a Dark Wood/Midway, 1975
A folded sheet onto which is printed a critical text by Stephen Bann accompanies this medallion. The image is a metaphor for the World War II battle of Midway in the South Pacific which was fought with airpower rather that ship to ship sightings. The text accompanying this work is stored in a box of Finlay booklets. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.
Thunderbolt Steers All, 1975
Image is an armored tank. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.
Twine Is Jacobin; String is Girondist, 1990
The twine is blue and the string is white. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.
