In the early 1960s Finlay began publishing 'concrete poetry', poems which rely on physical shape, structure and repetition of words rather than on syntax or narrative. The shape of the words in this print mimics the zigzag movement of a ship through the water. One 'star' stands out from the rest, as it is in slightly smaller writing. This may represent the North Star, which is used in nautical orientation. Much of the artist's work of the mid-1960s was inspired by fishing boats and the sea, playfully associating words with visual images.
Ian Hamilton Finlay (Scottish, 1925 - 2006)
Finlay was born in the Bahamas to Scottish parents, who returned to Scotland when he was a child. He attended Glasgow School of Art for a brief period but began his career as a writer of 'concrete poetry'. Finlay's work investigates the power of images and symbols, particularly those associated with militarism, politics, classicism and nature. Creating an analogy between war and the forces of Nature, he highlighted the thin line that exists between creation and destruction, order and disorder, culture and chaos. His art presents a challenging and often complex fusion of poetry, graphic design and sculpture. In 1966 Finlay moved to a farmhouse in the Pentland Hills, south of Edinburgh, where he created a sculpture garden called Little Sparta to display his artworks in a natural setting.
