Richard Long

Richard Long (Bristol, 1945 – )

When Richard Long arrived at Celle in 1985, hewas initially drawn to the floor of the former hayloft in the fattoria building, a newly restored space that was mostly empty except for Sol LeWitt’sWall Drawing #445, which covered the surface of one side wall. To create his large Ring, Long chose a local stone of “Prato green”, which led him to search for small to medium-sized stones in the disused quarry of nearby Figline. From the beginning of his stay, the artist intended to take advantage of the dual opportunity offered by the estate’s spaces, occupying both an interior room and a site in the park; this goal led him to intervene also in an area near the large Aviary where he created the shallow imprint of the Circle of Grass.

In the 1990s, plans for reinforcing the fattoria floor’s load bearing capacity called for the removal of the many stones comprising the Ring of Prato Green Stoneand the artist was asked about the potential reinstallation of the artwork. His response was negative because, he said, the stones could be repositioned freely to form the ring, and needn’t precisely conform to his own original placement. As a result an alternative solution was found that allowed for the floor consolidation without tampering with Long’s arrangement.

“[Richard Long’s] entire piece would establish a contradiction between organizing one’s perception of the land according to a pre-formulated design and leaving oneself open to the serendipity represented by the rocks. Because this type of art reenacts the basic structure of agriculture, which involves imposed order and an anticipated and serendipitous yield, it is particularly appropriate for the fattoria.” — Robert Hobbs, in Art in Arcadia, Umberto Allemandi & C., 1993, p. 54.

Works by the artist

Ring of verde di Prato Stone

Grass Circle

For more info:

richardlong.org

art-kerguehennec.com