Sublime - Richard Long

Richard Long
Slate Atlantic 2002
Installation view at Tate St Ives 2002

© Richard Long
Delabole slate

I have been reading about the theory of the sublime in art and photography and the artist Richard Long immediately came to mind. I really like his work and was reminded of when I saw the work above by him in the Tate St Ives after I finished studying for my degree.

In 1757 Edmund Burke wrote a A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful. He broke the theory of sublime into seven aspects, all of which were discernible in the natural world. These were as follows;

Darkness which constrains the sense of sight. This isn't seen in the work of Richard Long as the work was seen when the gallery was open in daylight hours, on a balcony overlooking the Atlantic in the beautiful St Ives light.

Obscurity which confuses judgement. This is definately seen here in the work of Richard Long, made from slate which is fairly local to the area but then why is it here? why has someone taken the time to arrange this slate? why a semi circle? what does it mean? and to me personally when I saw it, is the roof strong enough to take the weight and what happens once the exhibition is over?

Privation (or deprivation) since pain is more powerful than pleasure. I think this is visible in the work, the slate as been removed from it's natural landscape and so as a viewer you are deprived of seeing it in its own environment (although this is a beautiful environment to see the slate in). Much of Long's work is using materials in there own landscape setting and using the landscape itself within the photographic recordings o the works of art. There is no warmth to the slate. They are all cut square, leaving sharp edges, although they are arranged into a more soft shape, the semi circle feels a more inviting shape.

Vastness which is beyond comprehension. The slate is wide-spreading and fills this balcony, it's weight makes you think of the structural soundness of the tiles they are placed on as well as the ceiling of the Tate St Ives. I would say that this is indeed depicting vastness as much as the work of Richard Long does. But constrained somewhat in being placed within a gallery setting and not it's natural environment. 

Magnificence in the face of which we are in awe. I am mainly in awe of the logistics of setting up this installation within the gallery, carrying all the slate from Delabole, getting it up onto the rooftop one by one, arranging them in the right way to form the semi circle.

Loudness which overwhelms us. I think the jagged materials are indeed loud but this is quietened by the shape of the arrangement and the calm scene beyond, the sand, the calm sea and the soft light.

Suddenness which shocks our sensibilities to the point of disablement. I think this also applies to this piece of  work as I have seen it for myself. I know that there was no sense of seeing it in the distance and gradually discovering the work. You went in the cafe, turned a corner and looked trough a glass door, then suddenly, what is that? Let's go look at it. I imagine stumbling across a piece of land where Richard Long has been working is even more awe inspiring, overwhelming and indeed sudden.

Morley in his essay Staring into the contemporary abyss http://www.tate.org.uk/context-comment/articles/staring-contemporary-abyss spoke more about the sublime.

"At the sublime’s core are experiences of self-transcendence that take us away from the forms of understanding provided by a secular, scientific and rationalist world view. "

This is applicable to the work of Long, it lies beyond the ordinary range of perception and makes you think about the landscape, the natural world around us, the way we use it and the way we exploit it for our own gains, all by removing something natural and placing it in different surroundings.