Tayla shares this latest news from Quay Arts. Ed
Last Saturday (8th Apr) we opened our major spring / summer solo exhibition by Turner Prize winning and Britain’s leading artist of the landscape, Richard Long.
The opening saw over 200 people in attendance with speeches by Quay Arts’ Chair of Trustees Terence Hart, Participation Manager Jacqui Cusack and Visual Arts Manager Georgia Newman. The opening event closed with a fascinating discussion into Long’s working processes and influences with writer and curator, Les Buckingham.
Click on images to see larger versions
Long is an artist who embarks on long distance walks to create his work, therefore an exhibition of his work couldn’t be more perfectly placed on this ‘Garden Isle’ which plays host to some of the largest walking festivals in Europe.
The Island has long been a source of inspiration to visitors, including Long, with his 1982 text‐work created in vinyl, titled ‘The Isle of Wight as Six Walks’ from which this exhibition takes it name. This large text‐work on display and covers six distances, alternately north to south and south to north, and precisely portrays the physical shape of the Island as it lies in the sea.
Accompanying this work is one of Long’s signature pieces made in the gallery – a bespoke ‘wall drawing’ by Long himself, using local mud from the River Medina. Constructed through a series of marks by the artist’s hand with found, natural material, it explores visibility and impermanence, which lies at the heart of Long’s practice.
Other works on display include photographic and text pieces as well as a monumental floor installation made from flint, all on loan from the Southampton City Art Gallery’s collection. They present a variety of locations, including England, Wales, Africa, Nepal and Bolivia and span over four decades, offering a glimpse into Long’s vast artistic career.
“Nature has always been recorded by artists, from prehistoric cave paintings to twentieth‐century landscape photography. I too wanted to make nature the subject of my work, but in new ways. I started working outside using natural materials like grass and water, and this evolved into the idea of making a sculpture by walking”
(Ben Tufnell (ed.), Richard Long: Selected Statements & Interviews, London 2007, p.39.)
Turner Prize winning artist
In 1989 Long was awarded the Turner Prize for his contribution to British Art and has since been involved in a plethora of solo and group shows world‐wide. He remains one of the foremost practitioners of Land Art, art concerned with action within the landscape and its human geography, art that questions the definition of art as a revered, permanent and valuable object.
There are many ways to get more involved with ‘The Isle of Wight as Six Walks’ this spring/ summer. Talks, music events and exhibitions across the Quay Arts building will coincide with this project, celebrating Island artists’ love of the land.
- Sisters Bridget Macdonald and Molly Attrill have now opened their exhibition in the Clayden Gallery ‘From Rocken End to Binnel’ presenting a stunning exhibition of pots, paintings and drawings of the stretch of coast on the southernmost tip of the Island, from Rocken End at the Eastern end of Chale Bay to Binnel Bay, near Ventnor.
- Also now open in the Café are ‘Islanders’ by painter and multi‐media artist Laura Hol, with an array of vibrant paintings exploring her fascination with coastlines and heritage as an Islander, as well as ‘Beach Collages’ by David Godby in the Seminar Room – presenting his collection of collages made from found objects during walks on Island beaches.
- Through a series of school workshops, artists Sue Paraskeva and Ian Whitmore will work with young people celebrating the work of Richard Long through visual art and creative writing, resulting in an exhibition in the Clayden Gallery, opening on 13th May.
- Also exploring the work of Richard Long, are patients from the Earl Mountbatten Hospice, working with resident artist Marion Tasker they will also create a response exhibition in the Clayden Gallery, opening on 13th June.
- And don’t forget to take part in one of the largest charity events of the year – ‘Walk the Wight’ on Sunday 14th May, raising much needed funds for the Island’s Earl Mountbatten Hospice. An interactive postcard exhibition will be on display made by those taking part on the walk. More details to be announced soon!
Family drop‐in’s and adult workshops are also available. Please see our Live Events and Courses & Workshops brochures or visit our Website for more details.
Gallery opening times: Mon – Sat, 10am – 5pm, free entry.
Images: Courtesy of Alice Armfield & Georgia Newman
