- Venue
- Haunch Of Venison
- Location
- London
Richard Long has been walking the landscape for 45 years. For him walking is an artistic act. His artwork happens out there as he experiences and interacts with nature. His gentle interventions are documented through photography, text pieces and artwork created from found materials discovered on his travels. He has disassociated himself from Land Art that leaves a more permanent mark on the environment.
What continues to strike me about Long’s work is its profound simplicity. From the vastness of our natural world Long has honed in on details and discoveries that have special significance to him. By interacting with nature he has introduced a human scale which can be seen in the exhibition title ‘Human Nature’.
This exhibition comprises of stone circles, photographic works, found objects, framed prints and large scale installations applied directly to the walls.
Having seen Long’s previous exhibition at Tate Britain in 2009 I recognised his continued use of walking, stones and circles. His walks enable him to be in the environment drawing energy from nature and being aware of what is happening around him. The walks are solitary enabling him to focus and concentrate. Creating a path is an expression of energy and a path trod by many speaks of the movement of people across the landscape. The circle is a universal image recognisable to everyone. It can speak of power, freedom and an open system of inclusiveness. Stones are practical and common, used to build walls and roads and can be picked up and carried by a walker.
I was attracted to a recent work in Room 2: ‘Untitled (Rescue Pole), 2011. This is a very long thin piece of yellow and red driftwood mounted to the wall. Black paint and fingerprints made from River Avon mud have been applied to the front. The pattern created by the fingerprints gives it a decorative quality and I contemplated its former use as a rescue pole. The final piece in the exhibition is a wall work ‘Human Nature’ 2011. It contrasts natural red clay and manmade blue pigment in a huge scale and was made totally by hand. It speaks of a creating a balance between people and nature.
The simplicity and economy of Richard Long’s artworks encourage contemplation of our place as humans in the natural world.
