Left: This Hull is a Flag. This Flag is a Hull. 2002, installation, vinyl on glass.

Tate St.Ives is showing work on a maritime theme by the renowned Scottish artist Ian Hamilton Finlay until June 30.

Finlay (b.1925) is rarely exhibited in Britain and the exhibition is therefore something of a coup for Tate St Ives.

Right: The Divided Meadows of Aphrodite, 2002, blanket stitched rug.

In addition, as visitors walk through the show it will become plain to even an inexpert eye that the maritime themes explored by Finlay are particularly appropriate to this beautiful Cornish seafront setting.

The work on show, much of it specially commissioned, crosses the boundaries between poetry, literature, politics, fine art and landscape design. Some of the materials used are surprising - Finlay and his collaborators have used woven cashmere as well as backlit Perspex, along with the more conventional carved wood and cast metal.

Left: Ark/Arc, 2002, installation.

One of his most celebrated works is Little Sparta in Scotland; a garden containing many artworks, which he is continually developing. Constant themes can be traced through the work - the use of text juxtaposed with objects, classical imagery, weapons of war.

There are plentiful echoes of the Little Sparta work to be seen here in St.Ives: Finlay often revisits themes and ideas he's previously explored.

Right: Four Rose Benches with Andrew Daish, 2002, Oak wood.

A key facet of the work - plainly visible here - is that Finlay has developed a strong visual and literary language of his own. It's almost like an artistic Esperanto: hidden within the codified expressions carved into wood and stone and woven into cashmere is a poetic world which actually can be taken in - even if you are not au fait with art critical language.

Left: Paper-Boat-Hat, with Nicholas Sloan, 2002, plexiglass.

Perhaps that's the message to be taken from this show. On display in this stupendously attractive setting is an exhibition of almost cruel intensity. Written, carved and woven into the fabric of the show is what looks like a secret creative language.

Right: Dinghy, 1996, clinker-built boat and poem.

So if you, like me, have the taste of the tide in your mouth you'll be one up on the assembled crew of art critics and journalists I was with to view the work - they were stumped by references to strakes, red lead and sail ties! All-in-all this is a winningly cerebral spring exhibition at Tate St.Ives, well worth a bit of mental effort.

As well as the continuing excellence of Tate St.Ives, by the end of this summer there should be more attractions to tempt tourists down to the deep South West. The National Maritime Museum Cornwall will open in Falmouth and a new visitor centre has been built at Goonhilly by BT.