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Ian Hamilton Finlay
Shortlisted: 1985

Until the 1970 Finlay was better known for his poetry, plays and stories. Since then he has become known as a maker of prints, medals and sculpture which are still influenced by his love of language and deeply felt poetic sensibility. At his home in Dunsyre in Scotland, which he has named 'Little Sparta', he has, with his wife Sue and other artists and craftsmen, created a unique artwork which has attracted both notoriety and international acclaim.

Ian Hamilton Finlay was born in Nassau, Bahamas in 1925. He briefly studied at the Glascow School of Art, from 1942 to 1945, and then served in the army during the Second World War. He was nominated for the Turner Prize in 1985 for his important contribution to British art and for the artwork he created at his home, 'Little Sparta', in Scotland.

This information has been taken from The Turner Prize: Twenty Years, by Virginia Button, Tate Publishing, 2003.

View Ian Hamilton Finlay in the Tate Collection