Richard Long (b.1945)

Wessex Flint Line

Long is the most celebrated of the British 'land artists'. He has been shortlisted for the Turner Prize three times and won the award in 1989. Much of Long's work is derived from walking in the landscape. Using material found nearby he makes shapes in the natural environment or creates visible paths with his footsteps. He also combines maps, photography and words to chronicle his walks.

Long has also made lines and circles of stone and wood for display in gallery spaces. In 1987 Southampton Art Gallery commissioned Wessex Flint Line: pieces of white Hampshire flint are carefully placed to form a line 37 feet long by 5 feet wide. It was created to fit a particular space in the gallery's main hall, its straight lines contrasting with the curves of the gallery arches.

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