Richard Long: Walking the Line Book

"Places give me the energy for ideas.... I get my energy from being out on the road."—Richard Long This new volume about and by the British sculptor and land art pioneer Richard Long is centered mainly on his work from the last dozen years, though it also contains some earlier pieces. Long's ability to turn any given space, indoors or out, into a work of art is unrivaled, and this new journey takes the reader around the world: to the Sahara Desert and down the Rio Grande; from coast to coast in France and Spain; to Bolivia and Peru; and to the peaks of Honshu in Japan. Some of the sculptor's oeuvre is created during his walks through the world's landscapes, while other works bring the materials of nature—stones, boulders, branches, twigs, and mud—into a more domestic or sheltered environment: museums, galleries, houses, gardens. These sculptures feed the senses, whereas the artist's walks feed the imagination. Majestic museum sculptures made from tons of rock are juxtaposed with dramatic mud paintings and with photographs recording ephemeral changes to the natural landscape. Many of the photographs were taken by the artist himself, and he has also included his own notes and writings. If walking has become Long's trademark, the path is perhaps the central image or archetype in his work. To walk a line is the easiest thing a human being can do to put a mark on a place. The idea of the path or way has meaning in all cultures—from the most material to the most spiritual. It is both real and symbolic, whether it be the Christian's pilgrimage, the Taoist's Great Way, or the Zen Buddhist's Heavenly Way. 248 illustrations, 150 in color.Read More