#alecfinlay

Wallflower | Flores Muri

This is a recent proposal, for plant names and locations for 9 species of flora associated with the Roman era, planted by the Antonine Wall, Callendar Park.

The plants are marked with archaeological survey poles, which will bear familiar rectangular red flags, in imitation of the golf-flags on the nearby course, which was in former times the parkland belong to the house. Here the flags will be printed with the Latin plant names.

This proposal gives the Latin and common English name, as well as a literal English translation of the Latin. Only the Latin names will appear on the flags.

The project was a collaboration, working with local Youth Ambassadors, poet-gardener Gerry Loose, poet-translator Ken Cockburn, artist-surveyor Amy Todman, photographer Robin Gillanders, and with additional input from poet-botanist Colin Will, and project co-ordinator Amy Porteous. 

Together we worked by a process of mapping and surveying, employing botany as means to practice archaeology.

Our tools included a variety of poetic forms, constructed viewfinders, Claude glass, cameraless cameras, maps, prints, and, finally, these photographs, by Robin Gillanders.

This post is a proposal, offering an insight into the accumulated layers of meaning we uncovered and created in Callendar Park.

Each portrait documents a site and the species of flora that I propose to plant there.

  Wallflower | Flores Muri: The proposal

(I) Laurus nobilis noble laurel I REST ON THE BROW

QUIESCO IN

FRONTE

two bay laurels, planted by the Roman Wall

(II)

Prunus (domestica) institia

the graft of a homely plum

PURPLE CLOAK

STONE HEART

CAPA PURPUREA

CORS LAPIDEUM

two damsons planted on the avenue

(III)

Anthriscus sylvestris

anthered one of the woods

WE GUIDE

THE WAY

IN VIA

DUCIMUS

the existing cow-parsley, at the point of the spit

(IV)

Morus alba

Mulberry of Alba

MY SKIN

FLUSHES

CUTIS MEA

EFFUNDIT

two mulberry trees planted near the pond

(V)

Castanea sativa

cultivated chestnut

THESSALY

REMAINS SHROUDED

THESSALIA

VELATA MANET

a sweet chestnut planted in the arboretum

(VI)

Thymus vulgaris

common thyme

HELPING

HANDS

MANUS

ADIUVANTES

Rosmarinus officinalis

medicinal dew of the sea

SALT

SPRAY

SAL

ASPERGO

two planters, with a mix of rosemary & thyme, on the terrace

or, alternatively, two planters containing

Buxus sempervirens

evergreen box

TWO CRATES

OF EMERALD

DUAE ARCAE

ZMARAGDORUM

two box, in planters, on the terrace

(VII) Narcissus poeticus the poet’s daffodil I SING

OF MYSELF

CANTO

DE MEO IPSO

a spray of white daffodils, planted along the bank

(VIII) Juglans regia Jupiter’s regal acorn A FOREIGN

GOD

DEUS

ALIENUS

a walnut tree, planted close to Callendar house

(IX)

Rosa spinosissima

Prickliest rose

SWEET

PAIN

DOLOR

DULCIS

a rambling burnet rose, planted on the verge of the golf course

Amongst the poetic forms that I conceived for the project was one new one, which I have called a 'Declension'.

This form was inspired by a Japanese maple, growing near to the pond; its dividing branches suggested processes of natural growth, by division, and, in cultural terms, the process by which language evolves, by grafting, refinement, and translation.

(I)

        M A N

R O

        W A N

(II)

W A

         L L

F A

(III)

    T I

           M E

T H Y

(IV)

       E W

V I

       S T A

(V)

        S E

R O

       V E

(VI)

       B O R E T U M

A R

       C H I V E

Wallflower | Flores Muri: artist project conceived by Alec Finlay

for The Park Gallery, Falkirk, 2013

Workshop leader, Ken Cockburn

Workshop co-ordinator, Amy Porteous

Park Gallery co-ordinators: Kathryn Boyle, Karina Robertson

Botanical walk & advice on planting, Gerry Loose

Survey walk, Amy Todman

Photography, Robin Gillanders

Latin translations, Daniel Höhr

Archaeologist, Geoff Bailey Archives Assistant, Jean Jamieson

Last Friday marked the first day of the Park Gallery Youth Ambassador Team working on their project with Alec Finlay and Ken Cockburn that runs alongside the Ian Hamilton Finlay exhibition 'Nature over again after Poussin' which opens on August 23rd. The team were out in Callendar Park looking at the landscape and finding ways to express what they saw through words and sketches. The team start there intensive part of the workshops next week. Look out for further updates on this exciting project! For now here are some teaser photographs....

Jonathan and Rachel with their archaeologist pole and glass viewing devise....mysterious!!

Alec and Ken explaining a 'Composite Landscape' with a view next to the boating pond at Callendar House