Richard Long’s works have extended the possibilities of sculpture beyond traditional materials and methods. Central to Long’s work is the activity of walking. Since the mid-1960s he has taken countless walks throughout the world, in such places as the Sahara Desert, Australia, Iceland and near his home in Bristol, United Kingdom. The walks bring together physical endurance and principles of order, action and idea. From these walks emerge the idea and material for his works. Long’s sculptures commonly take the form of geometric shapes—circles, lines, ellipses, and spirals – and are often composed of minerals native either to their location or to the British countryside Long has traveled by foot. In this work, Long has appropriated flint stones from a river in Norfolk, to be installed in accordance with instructions set forth in a certificate as follows: “First, a straight line with parallel sides 18 ins wide x (about) 230 ins long is marked out lightly on the floor. Starting from one end, the flints are placed one by one in a haphazard pattern, in a single layer, to fill in the line. They are closely fitted together, touching one to another. Each flint is placed on its flattest, most stable side. They are chosen at random, with a fairly even mix of sizes. The edges can be jagged in detail but look roughly straight overall and the ends are square. All the flints are used and there is an even-looking density throughout the line. This is an indoor or outdoor work, always placed on a flat surface. It should be maintained as clean and dust-free as possible.”
