Alec Finlay
Bynames
Gateshead, UK: BALTIC, 2003
80 pp., softcover
Edition size unknown
An anthology of the invented bynames for (mostly) famous writers and artists, conceived and edited by Epic Filley (Alec Finlay). This anthology includes invented names, misspellings, and pseudonyms.
"HERMIT FUTON is Hamish Fulton; who says that walks are like clouds, they come and go.
RUCKSACK MIANG is Richard Long; who also likes to walk, sometimes in straight lines, sometimes in circles.
ONE BRAW NARA is On Kawara; who would like everyone to know he is still alive.
SHERBET & SERGE are Gilbert & George; of Fournier Street, listed in the Yellow Pages under Artist.
MART & LINKAGE are Art & Language; once upon a time they made a little magazine.
DORIC JARDIN is Derek Jarman; whose fugitive garden still flowers on the shingle of Dungeness.
IRON HUMILITY FINALLY is Ian Hamilton Finlay; whose love of names and name-calling is renowned.
DOUBTFUL GARDEN is Douglas Gordon; whose annual record of the names of everyone he meets is famed.
DEMON FIRST is Damien Hirst; who seems to carry a blow torch backwards through life.
TACKY HEMMING is Tracy Emin; also bynamed Racy Woman, Treacly Ermine, Trashy Omen.
TIMON PATTERNON is Simon Patterson; and he really is Mister Names.
HANDS RICH ORBITS is Hans Ulrich Obrist; the curator, who always works so terribly, terribly hard.
AWASH KIPPER is Anish Kapoor; the sculptor, for him a fanfare, tarantra, tarantra.
SOME SAILOR WOOD is Sam Taylor Wood; the photographer, wholikes to take photographs.
COOLING IRIS is Calum Innes; favoured son of Edinburgh, whose paintings give such ocular pleasure.
AUGUST MORNING is Agnes Martin; solitary visionary of Taos, her strong chin betrays Scottish roots.
JAMS CHOICE is James Joyce; Dubliner, name-player, who is celebrating an anniversary this year.
HANDS ARC is Hans Arp; the Alsatian, so handy with paper and scissors.
SILVER RIVER is Susan Hiller; for her a suitably Orphic byname.
DENIAL BURDEN is Daniel Buren; let’s hang-out all the flaps, dress the town for gala day.
SOUL WATER is Sol LeWitt; a byname to bless one who described all conceptual artists as mystics.
HANDY WATERHOLE is Andy Warhol; whose fame-factory collected names, tested them out on sofas.
LAWLESS WINNER is Lawrence Weiner; of New York, of Amsterdam, who sculpts with words.
GORGEOUS MACHINES is George Maciunas; Mr Fluxus, Little Yurgis, who planted Aurucaria.
PEER BRICKBOY is Per Kirkeby; who lays a mean red brick wall.
BARRROW is Basho; of Haiku, who took his pen name from the banana tree which grew outside his hut.
GLAD GOLD is Glenn Gould; pianist, composer. Preudonymist, who couldn’t help but hum along.
MAPLIN is Tatlin; remarkably there was talk of constructing a replica of his tower here in town.
RAINY MARGATE is René Magritte; so please be so kind as to doff your bowler hat.
TITAN is Titian; please proceed upstairs."
- Alex Finlay
