Alec Finlay, Scotland
Alec Finlay, Scotland » N n A a T t U R A L i I S v E e D « (worldwideletterboxrubberstampcirclepoem)
a circle poem for a letterbox in a forest (WWLB052), Alec Finlay, Wisconsin Forest-Art Path, Raven Trail, American Legion State Forest; keeper, Peter Zenti; guide: tAke Some stePs bEginning Near lAke hemlock’S ripPled shorE aNd, By carefUlly Considered looKing, wiTh tHese wOrds foR guidaNce, A Secret Poem containEd iN A Secret Place bEcomes knowN. aBandon yoUr Car, parKing aT tHe lOt foR raveN trAil, Stepping Past thE greeN And Shiny pitcher-Pump, Easterly – iNto tAll hemlockS, Pine (whitE), aspeN – By measUred paCes, walK Two Hundred (Our Rough approximatioN). At thiS Pathway intErsection contiNue By jUnction (seCond) walKing norTh wHere twO gReat piNes Are Sentinels Protecting thE Nature trAil, paSt Placards dEscribing aNd illustrAting treeS – sPring’s sweEt tastiNg mAple Syrup, Piloted-woodpeckers, gEntle ferNs, oBscure mUshrooms, Clubmosses, darK matTer – tHe signpOst you’Re seekiNg detAils bogS, Ponds, watEry plaNts. At thiS Pond continuE aloNg A Slight sloPe. hEmlock Names A Small Pretty lakE, iNviting Bathers (yoUr perfeCt sKinny-dipping spoT). Here Our tRail t-boNes And Splits aPart – lEft turN, heAding weStward, Peeling Eyes uNtil Another Sign aPpears (bEside aNother seAt), Saying ‘Peaceful placE’ And alSo Proposing rEsting aNd oBserving yoUr loCale. taKe The patH alOng shoRe – beginNing At Bench coUnt paCes, recKoning Twenty-five, wHich shOuld Reach oNe scArlet Survey piPe & rEd piNe. heAd lakewardS, Pacing northErly Nine smAll Steps – uP-close, hEre aN unusuAl foreSt Phenomenon’s rEvealed – oNe tAll Senescent Pine (whitE) aNd A Smaller Pine (rEd) behiNd, shAred rootS wraPping thEmselves arouNd. At thiS Point thE jourNey’s Accomplished, So Please rEst aNd rewArd yourSelf, oPening thE woodeN letterBox Up, disCovering inK, sTamp-pad, tHe pOem foR collectiNg. Ambling paSt Pines you’rE returNing, rAven trail’S car-Park, Ending, beginNing. (worldwideletterboxcirclepoem, www.alecfinlay.com)
Bio/CV
Alec Finlay (1966, Inverness) is an artist poet and publisher. Recent major residencies, exhibitions and public art projects in the UK include /W/M/ NaREC, National Centre for Renewable Energy, Blyth; floating island garden: a public artwork and web-book commissioned by Northumberland Coast AONB. Recent exhibitions include Waterlog, The Sunken Bell: (with Guy Moreton) at the Castle Museum and SCVA, Norwich (organised by Jeremy Millar and Film and Video Umbrella); Specimen Colony: a public artwork / group exhibition and book for Bluecoat Gallery, Liverpool; two wheat fields: completion of a public artwork, book and web-book commissioned by Milton Keynes Gallery, on the theme of agriculture, harvest and biogenetics.
Other residencies, exhibitions and public art projects have included: In their own words: a group exhibition at End Gallery, Sheffield. Siren: (with Chris Watson) is included in a group exhibition, Amsterdam. CUBECIRCLE: an art performance (with Dan Civico) at platform 000006, Waygood, Newcastle. CAST: a sculpture for International Art-Path-Laboratory, Darmstadt, Germany. Alec also exhibited in Word Order: a group exhibition, The Changing Room, Stirling. He won the International Edible Art Award and had an exhibition at Village Bakery Gallery, Melmerby, and completed phase one of string of pearls, a public art commission for Dysart, Fife. An exhibition of all Alec’s publications, folio/series//book/series, was hosted by the Scottish Poetry Library, Edinburgh.
