Richard Long first became known during the late 1960s. He is part of a generation of distinguished British artists who extended the possibilities of sculpture beyond traditional materials and methods.

Long’s work is rooted in his deep affinity and engagement with nature, developed during solitary walks. These take him to many places around the world, from the ‘home’ landscape of Britain to as far afield as the Andes, the plains of Africa, or the Mongolian steppes. The walks often realise particular ideas, such as using riverbeds as footpaths, walking a straight line for a predetermined distance, or dropping a stone into each river crossed along the route.

On wilderness walks Long often leaves traces and marks of his passing in locations found by chance and circumstance. These sculptures are always made with the materials of the places, in simple, often geometric shapes, like a line of dusty footprints or a circle of stones. He documents the images and ideas from these journeys with photographs, maps and text works. He has said that these outdoor works ‘feed the imagination’, whereas works made for interior and gallery spaces, such as sculptures of natural materials or mud works on floors and walls, ‘feed the senses’.

This display has been devised by curators Chris Stephens and Clarrie Wallis

British Art Displays