RICHARD LONG : A LINE MADE BY WALKING

A line made by walking

England 1967

In the nature of things:

Art about mobility, lightness and freedom.

Simple creative acts of walking and marking

about place, locality, time, distance and measurement.

Works using raw materials and my human scale

in the reality of landscapes.

The music of stones, paths of shared foot marks,

sleeping by the river's roar.

Long has commented about this work:

Nature has always been recorded by artists, from prehistoric cave paintings to twentieth-century landscape photography. I too wanted to make nature the subject of my work, but in new ways. I started working outside using natural materials like grass and water, and this evolved into the idea of making a sculpture by walking … My first work made by walking, in 1967, was a straight line in a grass field, which was also my own path, going ‘nowhere’. In the subsequent early map works, recording very simple but precise walks on Exmoor and Dartmoor, my intention was to make a new art which was also a new way of walking: walking as art.

(Tufnell 2007, p.39.) / Reference：http://www.vam.ac.uk/ (access to the website on 15, July, 2015)

"The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes; in seeing the universe through the eyes of another, one hundred others - in seeing the hundred universes that each of them sees."

 in search of lost time(1922, Marcel Proust)

Normally, most people tend to live in their comfort zone, and therefore they apparently used to go to the same place such as  restaurants, stores, etc. Perhaps, they might try to wander the street and browse the trendy stylish shops as a way to relax and unwind.

Even though they walk along the street near home, I believe it is quite heady to find out something new. For instance, a man come to talk to you with his feeling suddenly, in the meantime, there are interesting and crazy things given by him. This could help you generate unique ideas and experience better life.  Absolutely, having new eyes will embrace your new world. Thus, it is not a day dream!

From unknown to comprehension, it's a unexpected  and spiritual journey for me.

Through losing yourself, I will push myself to accept change and reality. Then, I will specifically focus on a lovely part of process you have to encounter until the end.

Actually, sometimes I am afraid of losing everything I ever had, but how come I leave my hometown for Europe to discover what I never have seen. Obviously, I have found the answer to question here.

In sum, personally  I really prefer to look at Richard Long's photographs, especially

"A line by walking." It represents how he got along with himself in a harmony while he traveled to another places alone. As a result, he was getting started making his first work in 1967 in England. After that, he has never gotten off his fantastic trip so far.

What's next? It's up to you! Before taking a day trip, check Richard Long's works out first.