Sea Poppy I [collaboration with Alistair Cant] 1966

Curator: Ian Hamilton Finlay, in collaboration with Alistair Cant, created this intriguing piece, "Sea Poppy I." Editor: It's like some kind of coded message, swirling in a serene blue void. What am I even looking at? Curator: The arrangement of seemingly random letters and numbers is deliberate. These are actually the names and call signs of various fishing trawlers. Editor: Fishing trawlers? So, the 'sea' element isn't just a pretty color. It’s tied to the boats, and the "poppy" then is like a field of these vessels? Curator: Exactly. The poppy, traditionally associated with remembrance, takes on a contemporary form here, memorializing these working ships and perhaps hinting at the dangers faced at sea. Editor: Ah, now I see it. A field of memories, digitized and drifting. I initially missed that somber note. Curator: These symbols, the trawler names, evoke a strong sense of maritime history and loss. Finlay often explored the tension between nature and technology. Editor: A coded lament then, embedded in that flat expanse of blue. It's quite haunting. Curator: Yes, a poignant piece that merges the concrete with abstract thought. Editor: Definitely altered my perception; makes you wonder about the hidden stories around us.