Ian Hamilton Finlay and the Sculpture Garden

About

Luton Council, very forward-thinking for its time (1986), commissioned Ian Hamilton Finlay to produce one of the most modern and thought-provoking gardens for Stockwood Park.

Finlay is better known for his own garden, Little Sparta, in Scotland , but designed gardens across Europe. He drew on the classical arcadian landscape which would once have surrounded the mansion and plays with ideas of double-meanings, both in the landscape - are those building columns or tree trunks - and in the inscriptions carved in different styles which hint at new ways to look at the surroundings. The talk will conclude with a look at how Finlay's garden influenced other gardens.

Running Time: 60 minutes