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Richard Long goes for a walk through boyhood haunts with latest sculpture Richard Long goes for a walk through boyhood haunts with latest sculpture
(about 4 hours later)
The Turner prize-winning artist Richard Long has made works of art in some of the most inaccessible places on earth including Antarctica, Mongolia, the Atlas mountains in Morocco, and the Sahara desert.The Turner prize-winning artist Richard Long has made works of art in some of the most inaccessible places on earth including Antarctica, Mongolia, the Atlas mountains in Morocco, and the Sahara desert.
“This is not my natural habitat, this semi-urbanised parkland,” he said, looking slightly bemused and even with a hint of disapproval at the sun shining on the daisies and buttercups of the Bristol Downs, with cars rumbling past, dog walkers on the march, and a circus student attaching a tightrope between two trees.“This is not my natural habitat, this semi-urbanised parkland,” he said, looking slightly bemused and even with a hint of disapproval at the sun shining on the daisies and buttercups of the Bristol Downs, with cars rumbling past, dog walkers on the march, and a circus student attaching a tightrope between two trees.
As he spoke an excited pug dog set itself the challenge of leaping backwards and forwards across his latest creation, Boyhood Line, a stripe of brilliant white limestone in the lush grass.As he spoke an excited pug dog set itself the challenge of leaping backwards and forwards across his latest creation, Boyhood Line, a stripe of brilliant white limestone in the lush grass.
“What is it?” a middle-aged walker stopped to demand. “It’s a sculpture,” Long explained, “made by me, actually.” “Oh, I thought it might have been something to mark the path,” the man said and strode on, quite incurious.“What is it?” a middle-aged walker stopped to demand. “It’s a sculpture,” Long explained, “made by me, actually.” “Oh, I thought it might have been something to mark the path,” the man said and strode on, quite incurious.
Those stumbling across the site of the work commissioned by the Arnolfini Gallery in Bristol, where a major exhibition of Long’s work opens in July, may be ignorant of his work, but the artist himself is standing on very familiar turf.Those stumbling across the site of the work commissioned by the Arnolfini Gallery in Bristol, where a major exhibition of Long’s work opens in July, may be ignorant of his work, but the artist himself is standing on very familiar turf.
Long was brought up in Clifton, just beyond the line of trees blurring the horizon, and this high green plateau overlooking the spectacular Avon gorge was his childhood playground. He now owns a small woodland just across the river.Long was brought up in Clifton, just beyond the line of trees blurring the horizon, and this high green plateau overlooking the spectacular Avon gorge was his childhood playground. He now owns a small woodland just across the river.
“We had our bicycles and we were just turned loose all day. We used to climb trees and track courting couples, and dig animal traps on the towpath and cover them up with grass to disguise them,” he recalled. “We never caught anything, but my friend did fall out of a tree and break his arm, so that was exciting.”“We had our bicycles and we were just turned loose all day. We used to climb trees and track courting couples, and dig animal traps on the towpath and cover them up with grass to disguise them,” he recalled. “We never caught anything, but my friend did fall out of a tree and break his arm, so that was exciting.”
Several early pieces were made within a hundred metres of the new work, including the 1964 A Snowball Track – included in the exhibition in the form of his beautiful photographs – a muddy snail trail left by rolling a snowball through a thin covering of snow.Several early pieces were made within a hundred metres of the new work, including the 1964 A Snowball Track – included in the exhibition in the form of his beautiful photographs – a muddy snail trail left by rolling a snowball through a thin covering of snow.
Long still uses the silty mud from the Avon in many works, including some new pieces he will be creating in the gallery.Long still uses the silty mud from the Avon in many works, including some new pieces he will be creating in the gallery.
“I used to think it was the most beautiful mud in the world,” he said, “but now I think the mud I used in South America, which came washing down from the Amazon, may be more beautiful – so chocolatey.”“I used to think it was the most beautiful mud in the world,” he said, “but now I think the mud I used in South America, which came washing down from the Amazon, may be more beautiful – so chocolatey.”
He has covered thousands of miles making work described as “walking in landscape”. Most has a formal geometric elegance, documented in equally elegant photographs and text panels. However, Boyhood Line follows an informal path worn in the turf by walkers, so it meanders, swerves and at one point humps up to cover a patch of bumpy ground. He has covered thousands of miles making work described as “walking in landscape”. Most have a formal geometric elegance, documented in equally elegant photographs and text panels. However, Boyhood Line follows an informal path worn in the turf by walkers, so it meanders, swerves and at one point humps up to cover a patch of bumpy ground.
There is no significance in its length either: the gallery sourced him nearly 11 tonnes of blindingly white limestone from a quarry in north Wales, and he laid his track until the stone ran out.There is no significance in its length either: the gallery sourced him nearly 11 tonnes of blindingly white limestone from a quarry in north Wales, and he laid his track until the stone ran out.
Many of Long’s pieces are fragile and fleeting: a stripe of un-mown grass in an otherwise close cropped lawn at the Henry Moore foundation, a misty circle in Scotland that lasted only until the day warmed up, a stripe of green grass left by plucking daisies, or paintings in wet mud that dry out and crumble.Many of Long’s pieces are fragile and fleeting: a stripe of un-mown grass in an otherwise close cropped lawn at the Henry Moore foundation, a misty circle in Scotland that lasted only until the day warmed up, a stripe of green grass left by plucking daisies, or paintings in wet mud that dry out and crumble.
However, the gleaming stones are very solid. The piece is intended to remain in place until the autumn, but neither gallery nor artist is quite sure what happens then: should the stones be left to the curious dogs and the boots of walkers, or gathered up? “Maybe people will have taken it all away by then,” Long said. “This could all end up as rockeries.”However, the gleaming stones are very solid. The piece is intended to remain in place until the autumn, but neither gallery nor artist is quite sure what happens then: should the stones be left to the curious dogs and the boots of walkers, or gathered up? “Maybe people will have taken it all away by then,” Long said. “This could all end up as rockeries.”