Alec Finlay
Home to a king (3)
Home to a king (3) comprises a series of ten nest-boxes sited throughout the parkland, each featuring crossword clues based on the names of British trees. These can be used to complete the crossword in an accompanying free guide. Each nest-box is designed to house a particular species of bird found at YSP and is colour matched to the leaves of the tree on which it is hung, enabling the project to become an important part of the Park's natural habitat.
Home to a king (3) at YSP is part of a larger ongoing project by Finlay in which he has sited next-boxes at various locations in the UK, including Durham University Botanic Garden (County Durham), Brogdale Farm (Kent), Springburn Park (Glasgow), George Square Gardens (Edinburgh), Cove Park (Scotland), Killhope Lead Mining Museum (County Durham), and St Andrews Botanic Garden.
Home to a king (3) leaflet and map
Propagator (2003-ongoing)
Bothy Garden
Mesostic poems written on the names of flora at YSP are displayed in a greenhouse. A mesostic is composed of a name-stem and word-branches and the poems reveal something of the plant's character. As with his earlier ongoing project, circlesthroughthepath (a guided walk of letterboxes and rubber stamp circle poems), this work offers a word-map of the Park landscape. The mesostic is a simple form capable of complex operations. The poems are an invitation to the reader to compose their own. An anthology, Mesostic Herbarium, is co-published by YSP and is available from the YSP shop for £10.
YSP Essential Sculpture Guide entry for Alec Finlay and Propagator
circlesthroughthepath
circlesthroughthepath is a walk through the park and a poetic mapping of the landscape. Instructions for the walk will be available in a free leaflet from the YSP Centre. Along the way you will encounter seven 'letterboxes', each containing a rubber stamp, ink and a circle poem. You can collect these by stamping them in the leaflet.
The walk takes about 1.5 hours and follows some uneven terrain. Please make sure you have suitable footwear before setting off.
circlesthroughthepath was part of Alec Finlay's artist residency Avant-Garde English Landscape (YSP, 2003-2005). A number of Alec's circle poems are also being presented in worldwiderubberstampletterboxcirclepoem, a ten year artist project for which letterboxes will be sited around the globe.
Turning toward living, an anthology of circle poems composed and collected by Alec Finlay and co-published by Morning Star and YSP is available for £10 from the YSP shop.
circlesthroughthepath leaflet and map
Links:
Alec Finlay's official website
Renga: a website conceived by Finlay dedicated to this ancient form of shared writing
An interview with Alec Finlay by Elizabeth James
Watch an interview with Alec Finlay at the Baltic