Artist Research 1

Artist: Richard Long

Website: http://www.richardlong.org

Favorite work: “Berlin Circle”

Richard Long’s work is very simple and, arguably, plain. Normally, this would bore me. However, I feel he uses the space which his work resides in as inspiration for the piece instead of forcing a piece to fit in just any given space. The colors of his materials rarely- if ever- contrast the space and for most texture is used in the same way. Yet, Long also takes a lot of liberty in contrast when it comes to the shapes of other works. The hit-or-miss tendencies with contrast creates engaging works that I believe improves every space they are implemented.

My favorite aspects of Long’s artistry are in a tie between color and line. In terms of color, Long consistently uses very soft tones even in his darkest pieces. This creates a calming feeling as the art is observed, as well as an overall sense of unity between everything Long creates. On the other hand, Long’s linework is so zen-like I wish I could visit the exhibitions. In reality, he uses and repeats only a small series of shapes. Yet the construct of the interaction between the shapes is different enough in every piece so it may have its own sense of identity. It becomes a visual representation of a message or theme being echoed, or perhaps the small variations made to the basic shapes are like stories begging to tell what they have to teach that is unique to them.