Turner Prize 1985 artists: Ian Hamilton Finlay

Scottish sculptor, graphic artist and poet. He briefly attended Glasgow School of Art and first made his reputation as a writer, publishing short stories and plays in the 1950s.

 In 1961 he founded the Wild Hawthorn Press with Jessie McGuffie and within a few years had established himself internationally as Britain’s foremost concrete poet. His publications also played an important role in the initial dissemination of his work as a visual artist. As a sculptor, he has worked collaboratively in a wide range of materials, having his designs executed as stone-carvings, as constructed objects and even in the form of neon lighting.

Close