Re: Contemporary natural shrines upon the landscape. | Forum

moss Jul 1, 2012 10:40:13

Replying to Rhiannon

Well not exactly shrines but a marking of the landscape with stones made by Richard Long, who lived, or maybe still lives on the Isle of Lewis.

http://www.richardlong.org/Sculptures/sculptures11.html

I came upon him through the new book of Robert Macfarlane, - The Old Ways, journeying on foot through landscapes and the marking of these journeys by leaving stones in a pattern.
The making of cairns, or the single stones through the stony rugged landscape of Scottish islands can also mark the pathways to the shielings and peat cutting areas.

If you go to the index page he writes....

In the nature of things:
Art about mobility, lightness and freedom.
Simple creative acts of walking and marking
about place, locality, time, distance and measurement.
Works using raw materials and my human scale
in the reality of landscapes.

drewbhoy Jul 1, 2012 14:41:32

Replying to moss

moss wrote:

The making of cairns, or the single stones through the stony rugged landscape of Scottish islands can also mark the pathways to the shielings and peat cutting areas.

Totally agreed Moss. I've an uncle that lives near New Pitsligo moss in Aberdeenshire and until recently he used to cut peats. His mother in law's family lived in this croft for heaven knows how long but I would guess that the paths and path marker stones have been there for hundreds of years.

* moss being the term for a peaty area.

Rhiannon Jul 1, 2012 19:02:51

Replying to moss

I like Richard Long.
(he was at art college in bristol btw. legend had it he was chucked off the course for being too out there, literally)
I guess you know Hamish fulton too, kind of similar but fewer physical traces, more the walk being the art?
I do like andy goldsworthy but richard long and hamish fulton seem a bit more purist, more fine art, less down to earth sculpture.

(i know lots of people will hate them. But that's art for you isn't it).