REMEMBERING LITTLE SPARTA: 30 July - 30 August 2009
Sculpture Court, Main Building, Edinburgh College of Art

An exhibition of paintings, paper reliefs and photographs based on the the 16 year engagement by the artist Janet Boulton with Ian Hamilton Finlay's garden at Little Sparta.

SEMINAR EVENT
Wednesday 26 August, 6.30pm-7.30pm
In the exhibition space. Free admission.
A seminar with Dr Patrick Eyres, founder of the New Arcadian Press and Dr Bill Hare, Exhibition Curator of the Edinburgh Cast Collection, inviting conversation on the dynamics inherent in the relationship between landscape and the classical garden and the transition of a diversity of motifs through the artist's response to Little Sparta.

OPEN: Monday to Thursday 10am-6pm; Friday to Sunday 10am-5pm
Free admission

Ian Hamilton Finlay once referred to the English artist Janet Boulton as the 'sometimes resident artist at Little Sparta.'  In the summer of 2006, she was Resident Artist at Edinburgh College of Art when she had the opportunity to begin to make many of the studio based works shown in this extensive exhibition of over 120 paintings, paper reliefs and photographs.

An illustrated catalogue with texts by acknowledged authorities on Finlay’s work; Jessie Sheeler, Dr Patrick Eyres, Harry Gilonis, serve as an introduction to the four main categories of the exhibition: The Landscape Garden (with a section devoted to the Roman Garden), Interiors (Temple to Apollo and the Boat Window Series), Toys, Models and Maquettes (a little known aspect of Finlay’s prodigious output including works made in the early 1960's) and finally photographs of the artists garden at Abingdon Oxfordshire (demonstrating the inspiration of Ian Hamilton Finlay in a small urban setting).

There is also an installation of model boats from the collection of Ian Hamilton Finlay lent by the estate alongside memorabilia showing details of some of the collaborations from the collection of the artist.

The exhibition, each section being accompanied by explanatory wall texts, dispels the popular myth that the work of Ian Hamilton Finlay is obscure and only for the cogniscenti. It illustrates his love of the ordinary and at the same time shows how he can inspire another artist.