Earthquake Circle by Richard Long

1991

Richard Long

Facts

Material

Calanca gneiss

Size

Diameter: 600 cm

Description

Richard Long's art is made by walking (and sometimes cycling) in natural landscapes across the world's wildernesses and the photographs of the works he makes along the way. Inspired by his deep love of nature, these can take many forms: a line of dust made by the scuff marks of his walking boots in the desert sand; a circle of sharply pointed rocks perched on a glacial moraine.

There was an earthquake while I was making this sculpture in Glarus.
Richard Long
Some works, like this sculpture, find their way into the man-made environment.
It is an object of quiet contemplation but also has a story of its own, as its title suggests.

The beauty lies in the simplicity of each piece – which goes against the grain of how we live our lives. Some works, like this sculpture, find their way into the man-made environment. Earthquake Circle, made from Calanca gneiss (grey natural stone found in Switzerland), is a landscape in miniature − a tight circle of perfect form. It is an object of quiet contemplation but also has a story of its own, as its title suggests.

The beauty lies in the simplicity of each piece.

More works by Richard Long