A Line Made By Walking

• Artist?

  Richard Long
• Style?

  Conceptual, land artwork, topographical
• Date?

  1967
• Purpose? Challenging? Intension? CT?

  Created for open interpretation, challenging traditional ideas within the art-world. As, Long's intension was to create "walking as art" (Richard Long).
• Form?

  2D photograph which depicts a straight line in a field
• Where did he go to complete the artwork?

  Took the train from London Waterloo station to head southeast for approximately 20 miles, in an attempt to find a field that would become his artwork.
• Discuss how the piece highlights an action made by Long himself.

  P: The piece highlights an action made by Long as he used ‘aniconic symbolism’.

  
  

  E: Has not shown him walking back and forth in a grassy field to produce a transient line. Instead reveals the act of walking through the absence of human beings within the piece. 
• Does he express his contempt for capitalism? How?

  Point: Long effectively expresses his contempt for not only the money-focused artworld, but also capitalism within society as well.

  
  

  Evidence: Contrasts western traditional representations of landscape. Doesn't highlight human domination over nature, instead allows nature to express itself with reduced human impact through the impermanence of the piece, as the grass will grow back due to the first-hand material.

  
  

  Effect: Creates a sense of harmony.
• Give conclusion

  Long’s success as a post 1850 conceptualist and even performance artist as well is demonstrated through the fact that he has been short listed for the Turner Prize four time and his high profile shows such as ‘Heaven and Earth’ was exhibited in the Tate Britain in 2009.
• The photograph