Land Art: Richard Long

Art made by walking in landscapes

Richard Long is a well-known British land artist who uses photography to present his work. He takes photographs of the changes he makes to show his interaction with the land to make his work becomes permanent. Even though the changes he makes disappear eventually, photography allows the audience to view the work at all times.

A Line Made by Walking is an example of Long’s work which was created as a result of him walking back and forth on grass many times.

He flattened the grass to produce a visible line to show that he is in a dialogue with the landscape, meaning he interacts with it. The methods he used to make this piece are very intriguing in the sense that it goes beyond representation. Long uses nature itself to emphasize that his work is no longer an interpretation. It includes the direct use of the environment. A Line Made by Walking also makes a reference to time. Long spent a lot of time creating the mark on the grass however it is going to disappear quickly especially compared to a line drawn by an artist working on canvas or paper. To create a sense of permanence, Long took a photograph of the line. This will have an effect on the viewers as it reflects the long-term impact of humans on nature. The effect is emphasized as the work was created in a place where human intervention is kept to a minimum.

Snowball Track is also an example of Long’s land art, which includes his interaction with nature.

It is not simply located within the landscape; it is made out of it. Judging by the footprints in the show, the work was located in a place where a lot of human intervention takes place. This is fairly important as the work aims to turn a journey into art. The time and distance were recorded which highlights the significance of the journey. A journey takes place in a specific period of time and it includes travelling a certain distance. When Long recorded this with the use of photography, the journey became permanent even though its effects were not visible for long.

Water Sculpture by Richard Long was also a new approach to the idea of sculpture.

It interacts with nature in the sense that the weather can change how the work appears. On a sunny day the water inside the gaps will evaporate leaving only the holes behind, whereas on a rainy day, the gaps will be filled with water. It’s an innovative idea that enables nature to interact with the sculpture. Unlike the first two pieces where the human interference with nature is emphasized, here nature’s interference with the human is represented. It’s very different from the traditional ideas of sculpture as in their case nature is often represented but not used directly.

We can suggest that Richard Long makes a direct reference to human interventions and their effects on the environment.

He challenges the traditional ideas of sculpture by using nature itself to create his art. Some of his work has a sense of time and distance as they represent journeys. The life span of his land art is also emphasized with the use of photography to document his works. Because they are not permanent, photography is used so that they can continue to exist.

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