White Water Falls
I have long admired this art work in one of the buildings where my husband works in Sydney. At the time when he was Director of the Kinghorn Cancer Centre, he was heavily involved with its construction and aesthetic and sat on the approval committee that reached out to the artist for this project.
The main wall of the foyer and atrium area features this impressive and striking permanent installation artwork 'White Water Falls' (2012), by the British land artist Richard Long and it spans eight floors.
This image is looking upward from ground level.
Richard writes, “I made this work by mixing a relatively small proportion of powdered china clay with a much larger proportion of water. Over the years I’ve learned to harness and control the liquidity of this clay mix. I worked fast, using my right hand, while holding the bucket with my left. The speed and energy of my hand helped make the splashes. I made each level in the ‘same’ way, although each level is unique. I make part of the work and the forces of nature – gravity and chance – make the rest. I want to use and show the cosmic variety of the micro-detail, and the beauty of chance. Some years ago I realised the splashes and run-downs, the ‘out-takes’, were as interesting as my hand marks. In this work I’m happy for this part of the work to play the leading role. I worked from the bottom to the top of the wall, always working on a clean surface, rising as the water fell, the momentary present overlapping the recent past.”
Richard has been in the vanguard of conceptual and land art in Britain since he created 'A Line Made by Walking' (1967), while still a student. He was knighted in the 2018 New Year's Honours list.
© All rights reserved.
White Water Falls
I have long admired this art work in one of the buildings where my husband works in Sydney. At the time when he was Director of the Kinghorn Cancer Centre, he was heavily involved with its construction and aesthetic and sat on the approval committee that reached out to the artist for this project.
The main wall of the foyer and atrium area features this impressive and striking permanent installation artwork 'White Water Falls' (2012), by the British land artist Richard Long and it spans eight floors.
This image is looking upward from ground level.
Richard writes, “I made this work by mixing a relatively small proportion of powdered china clay with a much larger proportion of water. Over the years I’ve learned to harness and control the liquidity of this clay mix. I worked fast, using my right hand, while holding the bucket with my left. The speed and energy of my hand helped make the splashes. I made each level in the ‘same’ way, although each level is unique. I make part of the work and the forces of nature – gravity and chance – make the rest. I want to use and show the cosmic variety of the micro-detail, and the beauty of chance. Some years ago I realised the splashes and run-downs, the ‘out-takes’, were as interesting as my hand marks. In this work I’m happy for this part of the work to play the leading role. I worked from the bottom to the top of the wall, always working on a clean surface, rising as the water fell, the momentary present overlapping the recent past.”
Richard has been in the vanguard of conceptual and land art in Britain since he created 'A Line Made by Walking' (1967), while still a student. He was knighted in the 2018 New Year's Honours list.
© All rights reserved.