Ian Hamilton Finlay

Technique and condition

A textile panel within a Perspex glazed frame.

The woven and stitched textile measures 228 x 755 mm and is mounted behind a 57 x 56 mm natural linen covered mount within a pine wood frame 35mm deep. On the reverse a backing board is overlaid with paper sealing tape.

The blue woven textile is embroidered with eight lengths of twisted blue cotton type string, held horizontally in place with hidden stitches and visible cotton stitch over the string at each end. Nine lengths of brown un-twisted wool are held vertically, with regularly spaced overstitches of a similar wool thread. The word ‘MARE’ is held in place with blue cotton thread at both ends of one length of string, with strategic loops of thread to hold the string in the shape of the letters. The word ‘TERRA’ is of twisted lengths of brown wool which is held in place with green thread, as before.
A pine wood flat unadorned frame with mitred corners has thin battens rebated on the inside of the frame which holds the Perspex glazing away from the woven linen material of the mount.

This sealed unit is structurally sound with no apparent fading of the textile. A few dints and losses to the edges of the untreated wood frame are visible. To preserve the brightness of the textile colours low light levels of below 100 lux will be maintained during display.

Sandra Deighton
August 2005

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