Temple of Bara 1986

Editor: This is Ian Hamilton Finlay's "Temple of Bara." It presents a formal structure, a temple perhaps, but with surprising elements, like the cockade. What do you make of it? Curator: The composition is meticulously arranged, foregrounding the architectural form against a neutral background. Note how the rustication of the columns contrasts with the smoothness of the roof. The formal structure is self-contained, but the cockade introduces tension. Editor: Tension, how so? Curator: The cockade's vibrant colours disrupt the temple’s austerity. Do you observe the circular forms in the lower register echoing the cockade above? Finlay is using geometric shapes to unify symbolic elements. Editor: So, it's the formal relationships that reveal its meaning? I see it now. Curator: Precisely. By attending to these relationships, we begin to decode Finlay's symbolic language.