Nude / Draped Nude 1980

Curator: This print by Ian Hamilton Finlay, titled "Nude / Draped Nude," presents us with two distinct images. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by the stark contrast and the precision of the etching—the hard lines versus the soft drape. Curator: Finlay often explored the symbolic weight of classical imagery within modern, often militaristic, contexts. The "nude" warship becomes an emblem of exposed power. Editor: And the "draped" one, entangled in what looks like fishing nets, suggests vulnerability—a commentary on the fishing industry perhaps, alongside naval power. It's all in the printmaking, the labour! Curator: Indeed. The nets conjure ideas of capture, but perhaps also of transformation, a war machine returning to the source. Editor: I see the process as key to Finlay’s concept. The physical act of printing mimics the labour it portrays. Curator: Fascinating to consider the layers of meaning. Editor: I agree; it is a powerful statement about production, power, and the sea.