Ian Hamilton Finlay
Ian Hamilton Finlay
Ian Hamilton Finlay, CBEwas a Scottish poet, writer, artist and gardener...
NationalityScottish
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth28 October 1925
absence complete created culture ingredient piety
Yes, I think we have created a culture in which there is a complete absence of piety of any kind. And piety was always an ingredient of culture.
garden retreat certain
Certain gardens are described as retreats when they are really attacks.
order disorder
The present order is the disorder of the future.
garden people collaboration
I came to these mediums through having the garden, and of course, people who have designed gardens have always worked in collaboration, and never made their own inscriptions.
order expectations people
No, I don't make my work in order to challenge or confuse other people's expectations - I only do what I find natural.
ideas chance concrete
But at the beginning it was clear to me that concrete poetry was peculiarly suited for using in public settings. This was my idea, but of course I never really much got the chance to do it.
writing muse given
But I can only write what the muse allows me to write. I cannot choose, I can only do what I am given, and I feel pleased when I feel close to concrete poetry - still.
feelings way language
For me concrete poetry was a particular way of using language which came out of a particular feeling, and I don't have control over whether this feeling is in me or not.
writing friendly sometimes
As a friendly one. I would still like to write concrete poems, but I can only do it sometimes.
marijuana artist opinion
But you have to understand that I consider myself a very modest artist, or whatever, and not of importance really at all - it is quite embarrassing to me to be asked my opinion about things. I am only a wee Scottish poet on the outside of everything.
marijuana men modern
I am not a modern man, I am just a wee old fashioned one.
garden thinking littles
Little Sparta is a garden in the traditional sense. It is perhaps not like other modern gardens, but I think that other times would have had no difficulty with it.
garden law world
My position is that since the non-secular status of my garden is not recognised by the law; by the world of the public, then the garden can only be private. So, I closed the garden to the public.
architecture calling dispute folly happened laughing national pleasure sort trust
The same sort of thing happened in my dispute with the National Trust book: Follies: A National Trust Guide, which implied that the only pleasure you can get from Folly architecture is by calling the architect mad, and by laughing at the architecture.