birth
Nassau, Bahamas, 1925
death
Edinburgh, United Kingdom, 2006
last update
27-11-2024
Born in 1925 in Nassau, Bahamas, he spent his childhood in Scotland, where his family originated. He lived and worked in Stonypath, near Edinburgh, in a place he called Little Sparta, which he transformed into his Gesamtkunstwerk or total artwork. The open-air space combines both forest and garden, with architectural and textual interventions that bring together, like the rest of his works, poetry, ideas, history, gardening, landscaping and sculpture. In addition to poetic work published largely by his own publishing house, Wild Hawthorn Press, founded in 1967, Hamilton Finlay created a body of work that ranges from landscape design to gardens, postcards, prints of all kinds, stone inscriptions, wooden sculptures and installations. His graphic work, which plays with language and visual poetry, shows a clear affinity with classicism. Hamilton Finlay has printed his texts on all types of media and in all formats, from stone stelae to pyramids, ceramic jugs and fabrics. He died in Scotland in 2006.
His first solo exhibition in Spain was held at the Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona, in 1999. He has presented his works in galleries and in venues such as St Paul’s Cathedral, London (2016); deCordova Sculpture Park and Lincoln Museum, Massachusetts (2014); Tate Britain, London (2013); Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh (2010); Kunsthalle, Bremen (2008); and Kunstverein, Frankfurt (1991), among many others.
His first solo exhibition in Spain was held at the Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona, in 1999. He has presented his works in galleries and in venues such as St Paul’s Cathedral, London (2016); deCordova Sculpture Park and Lincoln Museum, Massachusetts (2014); Tate Britain, London (2013); Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh (2010); Kunsthalle, Bremen (2008); and Kunstverein, Frankfurt (1991), among many others.
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documents
95 results
Simon Cutts & Ian Hamilton Finlay : lines of thin pale blue and red : 19-05-90--02-06-90 / [organisation: Eric Troncy & APAC ; essai: Stephen Bann]
document
1990
Reed-pipe / by Ian Hamilton, Martyn Greenhalgh
document
1990
Holzwege : Neueraachenerkunstverein, 8. September-7. Oktober 1990 / Ian Hamilton Finlay
document
1990
Filiger : [celebrations of the Nabis] / Ian Hamilton Finlay
document
1987
And even as she fled the Republic charmed him ... (2)
document
1987
A proposal for the Robert Louis Stevenson Club : spring 1987 / Ian Hamilton Finlay & Michael Harvey
document
1987
A shaded path / Ian Hamilton Finlay
document
[1987?]
A remembrance of R. L. S. / Ian Hamilton Finlay and Gary Hincks
document
1987
Two visions
document
1987
Joseph Bara (1780 - 1793) : After 'drummer' by Juan Gris
document
[1987]
Head of the death Marat
document
[1987?]
Dim Wim the wee wimp's in his crazy wind mill / [Ian Hamilton Finlay]
document
1987
Inter artes et naturam / Ian Hamilton Finlay
document
1987
Eine Erinnerung an Annette : Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, 1797-1848 : the Rüschhaus Proposal / [Ian Hamilton Finlay and Gary Hincks]
document
1987
A Remembrance of R.L.S. : West Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh : a proposal for the Robert Louis Stevenson Club / [designed by Ian Hamilton Finlay and illustrated by Kathleen Lindsey]
document
1987
Poire-Loire / Ian Hamilton Finlay
document
[1987]
After Bernini
document
[1987]
And even as she fled she charmed him ... (1)
document
1987
Der Untergang Des Abendlandes / Ian Hamilton Finlay
document
1987
Follies : a Little Spartan guide to the National Trust
document
1987
1794 : knitting was a reserved occupation
document
1987
1794 : le tricot était une occupation réservée
document
1987
Pastorales = Pastorals / Ian Hamilton Finlay
document
1987
Now the names of the Twelve are these
document
[1987]
Oh Nature, how sublime and delightful is your power! / Ian Hamilton Finlay and Gary Hincks, after Puvis de Chavannes
document
1987
A placement : obeisance / Ian Hamilton Finlay ; photographs by Andrew Griffiths
document
[1987]
Millet, pseudo-moralist
document
1987
Both the garden style called 'sentimental', and the French Revolution, grew from Rousseau ... / Ian Hamilton Finlay, Gary Hincks
document
1987
"Poursuites révolutionnaires" : 4e sanculotide an CXCV-23 frimaire an CXVI, Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain = "Revolutionary poursuits" / Ian Hamilton Finlay
document
1987
Pastorales / Ian Hamilton Finlay
document
1987
According to the National Trust
document
[1987]
A one-word poem for the Ladies of Art Press, Paris
document
[1987]
Dialogue : ley : je perds une tête, j'en trouve une
document
[1987]
Poppy, n. the Phrygian flower / Ian Hamilton Finlay, Jo Hincks
document
[1987]
Menu à la carte : Danton, Hébert, Clootz, Meulenkamp, Headley
document
[1987]
Liberal democracy lacks a blackboard
document
[1987]
Headley, Meulenkamp & Waldemar : jeunesse dorée of the counter-revolution!
document
1987
A modest hero / Ian Hamilton Finlay and Gary Hincks
document
[1987]
Mr. Greene and the White Brigands
document
[1987]
Louis Treize, Louis Quatorze, Louis Quinze, Louis Seize, Louis Cane
document
[1987]
Head ley : terror is the piety of the Revolution
document
[1987]
The garden is open
document
[1987]
4 colonnes, 8 affiches pour l'abbaye cistercienne de l'Epau : été, 1986
document
1986
Temple of Bara / Ian Hamilton Finlay, Mark Stewart
document
1986
Six proposals for the improvement of Stockwood Park Nurseries in the borough of Luton / [by Ian Hamilton Finlay and Gary Hincks]
document
[1986]
Saint-Just, 1767 - 1794 / Ian Hamilton Finlay, Nicholas Sloan
document
1986
Chanson d'automne / Ian Hamilton Finlay
document
1986
Twilight / Ian Hamilton Finlay
document
1986
4 Blades / Ian Hamilton Finlay, Gary Hincks
document
1986
Project for a monument to Ludwig Feuerbach / Ian Hamilton Finlay, Gary Hincks
document
1986
Revolution / Ian Hamilton Finlay, Gary Hincks
document
1986
Proposal for a monument to Jean-Jacques Rousseau / Ian Hamilton Finlay and Gary Hincks
document
1986
A variation on lines by pope / Ian Hamilton Finlay
document
[1986]
Marataplan!
document
[1986]
Proclamation des représentans du peuple
document
1985
Gateway to a grove / Ian Hamilton Finlay, Michael Harvey
document
1985
Project for a monument to Saint-Just / Ian Hamilton Finlay, Nicholas Sloan
document
[1985]
Klassische Landschaft / Ian Hamilton Finlay
document
1985
[Proposal for a wall] : spitfire segments : Messerschmitt mottle / Ian Hamilton Finlay, Gary Hincks
document
1985
Epicurus at Chatou / Ian Hamilton Finlay and Ron Costley
document
1985
Sea coast, after Claude Lorrain (Liber Veritatis, 1667) / Ian Hamilton Finlay and Gary Hincks
document
1985
Proclamation des représentans du peuple
document
1985
Talismans and signifiers with Sphere into cube / Ian Hamilton Finlay
document
1984
He spoke like an axe, Barère on Saint-Just / Ian Hamilton Finlay, Richard Healy
document
[1984]
To cease to believe in others is an impermissible luxury : detached sentences on revolution : the Committee of Public Safety, Little Sparta / Ian Hamilton Finlay
document
1983
Equality does not consist in everyone being arrogant but in everyone being modest : Louis-Antoine Saint-Just 1767-1794 : death to Strathclyce region
document
1983
The wars of liberty must be conducted with rage : Louis-Antoine Saint-Just 1767-1794 : death to Strathclyce region
document
1983
Long laws are public calamities : Louis-Antoine Saint-Just 1767-1794 : death to Strathclyce region
document
1983
Freedom of speech is not freedom to speak it is the freedom to discuss : detached sentences on revolution : the Committee of Public Safety, Little Sparta / Ian Hamilton Finlay
document
1983
Terror is the piety of the revolution : detached sentences on revolution : the Committee of Public Safety, Little Sparta / Ian Hamilton Finlay
document
1983
To be a hero it is not enough to write to bureaucracy twice : detached sentences on revolution : the Committee of Public Safety, Little Sparta / Ian Hamilton Finlay
document
1983
When man obeys without being presumed good there is neither liberty nor a native land : Louis-Antoine Saint-Just 1767-1794 : death to Strathclyce region
document
1983
Against the Hébertists and the Dantonists
document
[1983]
Daddy, what did you do in the little Spartan war?
document
[1983]
Neoclassicism needs you
document
[1983]
Join the Saint-Just Vigilantes and be a counter-composition
document
[1983]
Art press, Paris
document
[1983?]
Hommage à David (2) / Ian Hamilton Finlay, Ron Costley
document
[1983]
The little drummer boy : viala : hommage à
David / Ian Hamilton Finlay, Ron Costley, Gary Hincks
document
[1983?]
A litany, a requiem
document
1981
L'Idylle des cerises / [Ian Hamilton Finlay, Michael Harvey]
document
[1981?]
When the world took to tolerance it took to crime : repatriate Waldemar
document
[198-?]
"In the back of every dying civilisation sticks a bloody Doric column"
document
[198-?]
Bois d'amour : ('le talisman') / [Ian Hamilton Finlay]
document
[1978]
L' embarquement pour l'Île de Cythère : homage to Watteau / Ian Hamilton Finlay
document
[1975?]
A sailor's calendar : a miscellany / by Ian Hamilton Finlay and Gordon Huntly
document
1971
Valses pour piano : (water music)
document
1970
Lanes
document
1969
Poor old tired horse [núm. 22]
document
[1967]
Poor old tired horse [no. 21]
document
[1967]
Poor old tired horse [no. 23]
document
[1967]
Futura [núm. 7]
document
1966
Poor old tired horse [no. 20]
document
[1966]
Glasgow beasts, an an burd, haw, an inseks, an, aw, a fush / by Ian Hamilton Finlay ; papercuts by John Pickins and Pete McGinn
document
1965
Poor old tired horse [no. 19]
document
[1964]