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Ian Hamilton Finlay Quotes
As a friendly one. I would still like to write concrete poems, but I can only do it sometimes.
~ Ian Hamilton Finlay
Concrete
Friendly
I Can
Like
Only
Poems
Sometimes
Still
Would
Write
design
copy
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.
~ Ian Hamilton Finlay
Beginning
Chance
Clear
Concrete
Course
Got
Idea
Me
Much
Never
Poetry
Public
Really
Settings
Suited
Using
design
copy
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.
~ Ian Hamilton Finlay
Am
Cannot
Choose
Close
Concrete
Feel
Given
I Am
I Can
I Feel
Me
Muse
Only
Pleased
Poetry
Still
Write
design
copy
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.
~ Ian Hamilton Finlay
About
Am
Artist
Asked
Consider
Embarrassing
Everything
I Am
Importance
Me
Modest
Myself
Only
Opinion
Outside
Poet
Quite
Really
Scottish
Things
Understand
Very
Wee
Whatever
You
design
copy
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.
~ Ian Hamilton Finlay
Came
Concrete
Control
Feeling
Language
Me
Out
Over
Particular
Particular Way
Poetry
Using
Way
Whether
Which
design
copy
However, I don't feel the world is looking over my shoulder when I am working - I never think about this at all. What I think about is trying to make my work pure, and if it is pure then it can be accessible. It is quite straight forward really.
~ Ian Hamilton Finlay
About
Accessible
Am
Feel
Forward
However
I Am
I Think
Looking
Make
Never
Over
Pure
Quite
Really
Shoulder
Straight
Then
Think
Trying
Work
Working
World
design
copy
I am always a beginner. I only try to include different parts of life; the pastoral, the tragic, et cetera.
~ Ian Hamilton Finlay
Always
Am
Beginner
Different
Different Parts
I Am
Include
Life
Only
Parts
Tragic
Try
design
copy
I am not a modern man, I am just a wee old fashioned one.
~ Ian Hamilton Finlay
Am
I Am
Just
Man
Modern
Modern Man
Old
Old-Fashioned
Wee
design
copy
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.
~ Ian Hamilton Finlay
Always
Came
Collaboration
Course
Designed
Garden
Gardens
Having
I Came
Made
Mediums
Never
Own
People
Through
Who
Worked
design
copy
I have often said that just as the French revolution, for instance, understood itself through antiquity, I think our time can be understood through the French revolution. It is quite a natural process to use other times to understand your own time.
~ Ian Hamilton Finlay
Antiquity
French
French Revolution
I Think
Instance
Itself
Just
Natural
Natural Process
Often
Other
Our
Our Time
Own
Process
Quite
Revolution
Said
Think
Through
Time
Times
Understand
Understood
Use
Your
design
copy
If the work is pure then you have to think it could be understood. If it is not understood it doesn't mean that your work is not accessible. It doesn't worry me, but, of course, I would be pleased if people liked my work.
~ Ian Hamilton Finlay
Accessible
Could
Course
Liked
Me
Mean
People
Pleased
Pure
Then
Think
Understood
Work
Worry
Would
Would-Be
You
Your
design
copy
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.
~ Ian Hamilton Finlay
Difficulty
Garden
Gardens
Had
I Think
Like
Little
Modern
Other
Perhaps
Sense
Think
Times
Traditional
Traditional Sense
Would
design
copy
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.
~ Ian Hamilton Finlay
Closed
Garden
Law
Only
Position
Private
Public
Recognised
Since
Status
Then
World
design
copy
No, I don't make my work in order to challenge or confuse other people's expectations - I only do what I find natural.
~ Ian Hamilton Finlay
Challenge
Confuse
Expectations
Find
Make
Natural
Only
Order
Other
People
Work
design
copy
People have always found me challenging - I don't know why, when I am only being myself. I don't understand why they find me so annoying but they do. It is pity, but that is how it is.
~ Ian Hamilton Finlay
Always
Am
Annoying
Being
Being Myself
Challenging
Find
Found
How
I Am
Know
Me
Myself
Only
People
Pity
Understand
Why
design
copy
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.
~ Ian Hamilton Finlay
Architect
Architecture
Book
Calling
Dispute
Follies
Folly
Get
Guide
Happened
Implied
Laughing
Mad
National
Only
Pleasure
Same
Sort
Thing
Trust
Which
You
design
copy
Well, probably I was fed up with concrete poetry. There was a lot of bad concrete poetry and besides, it was confused with visual poetry which was completely different.
~ Ian Hamilton Finlay
Bad
Besides
Concrete
Confused
Different
Fed
Fed Up
Lot
Poetry
Up
Visual
Well
Which
design
copy
What you compose with is neither here nor there, you compose with words, or you compose with stone plants and trees, or you compose with events; the Sheriff's officer, or whatever.
~ Ian Hamilton Finlay
Compose
Events
Here
Neither
Nor
Officer
Plants
Sheriff
Stone
Trees
Whatever
Words
You
design
copy
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AuthorName
Ian Hamilton Finlay
Profession
Poet
BirthDate
28 October, 1925
DeathDate
27 March, 2006
Country
Scotland
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