Photograph, gelatin silver print on paper and graphite on board
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/richard-long-cbe-1525" aria-label="More by Richard Long CBE" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Richard Long CBE</a>
A Line Made by Walking
Purchased 1976
abstraction
actions: postures and motions
bush
emotions, concepts and ideas
field
formal qualities
geometric
landscape
non-representational
people
photographic
plants and flowers
walking
<p>This formative piece was made on one of Long’s journeys to St Martin’s from his home in Bristol. Between hitchhiking lifts, he stopped in a field in Wiltshire where he walked backwards and forwards until the flattened turf caught the sunlight and became visible as a line. He photographed this work, and recorded his physical interventions within the landscape. Although this artwork underplays the artist’s corporeal presence, it anticipates a widespread interest in performative art practice. This piece demonstrates how Long had already found a visual language for his lifelong concerns with impermanence, motion and relativity.</p><p><em>Gallery label, May 2007</em></p>
paper print photograph gelatin silver graphite board
1 May 2000 – 25 November 2001
2001-11-25
1 May 2000 – 25 November 2001
2001-11-25
2000-05-01
Tate Modern (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/
2000-05-01
Marks and Locations
Collection based display
1 June 2005 – 18 September 2005
2005-09-18
1 June 2005 – 18 September 2005
2005-09-18
2005-06-01
Tate Modern (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/
2005-06-01
Open Systems: Rethinking Art c. 1970
Exhibition
2 March 2007 – 2 September 2007
2007-09-02
2 March 2007
2007-03-02
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2007-03-02
St Martins Sculpture Department
Collection based display
28 April 2012 – 10 March 2013
2013-03-10
28 April 2012 – 10 March 2013
2013-03-10
2012-04-28
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2012-04-28
Charles Harrison and Conceptual Art in Britain
Collection based display
12 April 2016 – 29 August 2016
2016-08-29
12 April 2016 – 29 August 2016
2016-08-29
2016-04-12
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2016-04-12
Conceptual Art in Britain: 1964-1979
Exhibition
22 March 2017 – 23 July 2017
2017-07-23
22 March 2017 – 23 July 2017
2017-07-23
2017-03-22
Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais (Paris, France)
2017-03-22
Jardins
Loan-out
10 February 2018 – 2 April 2018
2018-04-02
10 February 2018 – 2 April 2018
2018-04-02
2018-02-10
Kettle’s Yard (Cambridge, UK)
http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk/
2018-02-10
ACTIONS: the image of the world can be different
Loan-out
A Line Made by Walking
image: 375 × 324 mm
framed: 623 × 826 × 26 mm
Purchased 1976
<p>This formative piece was made on one of Long’s journeys to St Martin’s from his home in Bristol. Between hitchhiking lifts, he stopped in a field in Wiltshire where he walked backwards and forwards until the flattened turf caught the sunlight and became visible as a line. He photographed this work, and recorded his physical interventions within the landscape.  
<br/>Although this artwork underplays the artist’s corporeal presence, it anticipates a widespread interest in performative art practice. This piece demonstrates how Long had already found a visual language for his lifelong concerns with impermanence, motion and relativity.</p>

Display caption
2007-05-01T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
abstraction actions: postures and motions bush emotions, concepts and ideas field formal qualities geometric landscape non-representational people photographic plants and flowers walking