Richard Long

Richard Long, one of the most important British artists, has changed the way we look at sculpture. In his work he rearranges natural materials such as stone and wood into primal forms that reference the cosmos and the universe. 

Curator: Eva Wittocx

Richard Long has primarily made walking the medium for his art, with nature and wilderness landscapes his main inspiration. During his long walks around the world, he often makes sculptures along the way, marks of passage and transformation. His work in geometric shapes emphasise both the order and diversity of the cosmos. They can be considered as metaphors for existence and reflect his ideas about travel, places, distance, time, space and movement.

The artist is fascinated by both contemporary ideas and prehistory. He uses classical geometric forms like lines and circles which he makes in relation to mountains, deserts, coastlines, grasslands, rivers and snowy landscapes. Transience is an important aspect of his works in nature. He mainly uses rougher volcanic rocks, driftwood, water, sometimes slate, as well as his own footsteps. The indoor mud works made with his own handprints can be seen as relating to prehistoric cave paintings. Richard Long describes each work as simple in itself, although complexity is added through the various media he uses: photography, text works, sculptures, books, drawings and mud works.

At M, Richard Long will present a selection of sculptures with stones and driftwood, text works, photography and two new mud works.

Biography
Richard Long (°1945) is an English artist who lives and works in Bristol. He studied art at Saint Martin’s School of Art in London. In 1976, he participated in the Venice Biennale. He has won several prestigious awards and took part in an impressive range of exhibitions all over the world. His work is part of the most important private and museum collections. 

The exhibition Richard Long at M Leuven is part of BANG!—the city festival around the discovery of the Big Bang theory.