Inscribed Glass Float and Nets c. 1971

Editor: Here we have Ian Hamilton Finlay’s "Inscribed Glass Float and Nets," date unknown, housed at the Tate. The contrast of the fragile glass and rough nets is striking! How do you interpret this combination of materials? Curator: I see a compelling comment on labor. The glass float, perhaps a symbol of commodity and trade, is literally supported by the nets – the tools, and by extension, the labor of fishermen. It asks us to consider the means of production. Editor: So you see the nets as representing the often unseen work that underpins the object itself? Curator: Precisely. And what does the inscription on the float add to this interplay of object and support, materiality and message? Editor: I hadn't even considered the inscription. That adds another layer to the story of production! Curator: Indeed. It makes one think about the relationship between the labor and the intellectual contribution.