Contemporary Art in the Countryside

ARTIST ROOMS On TourRichard Long  4th October 2014  – 10th January 2015 Burton Art Gallery and Museum, Bideford, Devon

The Burton Art Gallery and Museum, is proud to present a public exhibition of works by the celebrated land artist Richard Long, as part of ARTIST ROOMS On Tour.

In a career that now spans nearly 50 years, Richard Long, has tested the boundaries of art by creating a substantial and varied collection of work in which he has taken nature as his subject but also as the source of his materials. Credited with being closely associated with the emergence of a new art form, Land Art, Long won the Turner Prize in 1989 and is one of Britain’s most significant artists, living and working in his beloved West Country.

Richard Long’s work is deep rooted in his affinity with nature, developed often during walks around the British countryside. Walking repetitively in a line, making a circle of pebbles, arranging sticks in their hundreds, using mud as paint and piling up stones are just some of the many ways in which Richard Long has interacted with the landscape.  He was amongst a new generation of British artists who wanted to extend the possibilities of sculpture beyond the confines of traditional artists materials and he began to use natural materials such as clay, pine needles, driftwood, slate, mud and stones in his work. Long is renowned for documenting the experience of his walks with photographs, maps, wall drawings and printed statements, revealing patterns and observations with beauty, creativity and inspiration.

As a student in 1967, Long completed ‘A Line Made By Walking’ – a photograph of a field edged by a wood showing a narrow strip of grass, flattened by the action of him repeatedly walking it. Richard Long has stated “I have the most profound feelings when I am walking, or touching natural materials in natural places.” Paradoxically he states that his work is a portrait of himself in the world, his personal journey through it and the materials he finds along the way.  ‘A Line Made by Walking’ is alongside other pieces in the exhibition which have a relationship to the South West; ‘Cornish Slate Ellipse’, 2009, and ‘Three Moors’ are included within this exhibition.

The works on display at the Burton Art Gallery and Museum are taken from ARTIST ROOMS, an inspirational collection of modern and contemporary art acquired for the nation by Tate and the National Galleries of Scotland through the generosity of Anthony d’Offay with additional support from funders, including the Art Fund. The ARTIST ROOMS tour programme, now in its sixth year, is showing at 18 museums and galleries across the UK in 2014. The tour is made possible thanks to the support of Arts Council England and the Art Fund.

Warren Collum, Exhibitions and Collections Officer at the Burton Art Gallery and Museum said, “Right from the beginning of being involved with the ARTIST ROOMS programme, one of the artists I had in mind for The Burton was Richard Long. Many of the works in this exhibition have a direct connection to the South West environment. In particular, the works ‘Cut Slate Ellipse’ and ‘Three Moors’ will resonate strongly with our audiences encouraging them to connect with the materials that make up our environment, but in a totally different context – the gallery space.”

Miranda Clarke, Visual Arts Manager at The Burton added, “We are delighted to be an associate partner as part of ARTIST ROOMS. This is a significant moment in the Burton’s 60+ year history, bringing the Richard Long exhibition to The Burton supports the original remit as set out by Hubert Coop and Thomas Burton, the founders of The Burton, in 1951. Recently on a visit to Tate Modern, travelling up the main escalators I glimpsed the 12foot high map of the UK, which shows where all the ARTIST ROOMS venues are this year. It was incredible to see ‘The Burton Art Gallery and Museum, Bideford’ pinpointed. It made me proud of Bideford and of The Burton.” 

Richard Long’s work is a celebration of wild places that often lie hidden, just off the beaten track.  He is an artist who has had a lifetime of joyful exploration and simple pleasures, exploring the relation of man and nature, expressing, in new ways, the beauty and fragility of this relationship.

The Burton Art Gallery also hosts regular art activities for children and teenagers, allowing them the opportunity to discover their creative side and get artistically active themselves. Visit www.burtonartgallery.co.uk for further details.

To find out more information about ARTIST ROOMS On Tour please visit www.artfund.org/artistrooms.  To see the full ARTIST ROOMS collection please visit www.tate.org.uk/artistrooms and www.nationalgalleries.org/artistrooms

Venue Contact Details:
THE BURTON ART GALLERY & MUSEUM, Kingsley Road, Bideford EX39 2QQ
(e) burtonartgallery@torridge.gov.uk   (t) 01237 471455 (w) www.burtonartgallery.co.uk

Opening Hours:

Monday – Saturday, 10am – 4pm, Sunday 11am – 4pm.

Lucy Goaman

Crafty Activities for the School Holidays at the Burton

Children’s Workshops  (July – September 2014)

Six weeks is a long time to keep anyone entertained, let alone your toughest critics. Don’t panic, though, for those of you in North Devon, the Burton Art Gallery and Museum has got this year’s school summer holidays (24th July – 3rd September) sorted.

Bideford’s Burton Art Gallery has just announced their  “Summer School,” a huge variety of art workshops, all led by local artists, taking place across the holidays.

The eclectic range of creative activities for young people aged 3 to 11 year olds, and families, in its fully equipped contemporary workshop studio include drop-ins, art workshops and craft courses. Families are also encouraged to explore the gallery and museum using the free and self-guided Burton Family Trail (all ages).

Here is a preview of some of the workshops taking place:

Ghostly Sculptural Gadgets

Tuesday 29th July 10am – 4pm £15 Re-create everyday objects from umbrellas to tennis rackets, using a wire frame and tissue paper. Tour the museum and choose your favourite artefact to produce ghostly replicas.

Mad Mechanical Moving Models

Tuesday 5th August 10am – 4pm £15 Create simple moving models using levers and handles from painted & decorated card and recycled materials – mad, crazy characters of your choosing!

‘Up’ Cycled Accessories

Wednesday 13th August 10am – 4pm £15 One person’s trash is another’s treasure, and this couldn’t be more true with all of the emerging artists tapping into the creation of upcycled accessories.  Make your own original necklaces, bracelets, bags or brooches from throw-aways!

Ship Ahoy!

Friday 22nd August 10am – 4pm,  £15 Create a ship or seaside scene in a bottle, taking inspiration from Bideford’s rich maritime history.

Fat & Flat Fish Wednesday 27th August 10am – 4pm £15. Make colourful 3D paper fish; from sardines to sharks or even a whole shoal, hang your creation from a fishing wire to proudly display at home.

Windsock Whimsies

Friday 29th August 10am – 4pm £15 Create a fun windsock animal, fish or insect that will catch the wind & can fly all the way home with you!

Crafty Kids

Every Monday throughout the summer (except August Bank Holiday) from 10am – 12noon there are simple, fun and effective activities in the Crafty Kids class for under 5’s and their families.

Art Trolley

Out and about in the galleries every day of the school holidays, the Art Trolley is the perfect way to get creative at the Burton.  Free activity for you to enjoy.

Young Friends Art Group

On the last Saturday of every month, local artists run themed arts and crafts workshops. £1 donation per child.

Teresa Turner, Local Artist and on of the Workshop Leaders, said “I am really looking forward to the Summer School.  On Saturday I ran the Young Friends Art Group children’s workshop in conjunction with the Heritage Day taking place in Victoria Park.  The children learnt how to make their own book and then designed images across the book in relation to the heritage of Bideford and the surrounding area.  Children included, amongst many other things, Bideford Bridge, Bideford Pots, Hockings ice-creams, Bideford Bay, ships and dolphins.  I was blown away by the children’s knowledge of the Bideford area and how they confidently visualized that knowledge in the books that they created.  As always, an amazing display of young artist talent.”

Miranda Clarke, Visual Arts Manager at the Burton Art Gallery and Museum said, “We’ve got lots of gorgeous summer arts and craft activities for children at the Burton, and I am looking forward to seeing all the creativity from the children in the area, the next generation of artists!” 

So if the rain is beating against the window and you’ve got cooped-up, bored children on your hands, or if the sunshine has stayed and you need to do something other than a “beach-day,” then booking in a workshop at the Burton might be just the ticket!

To book a place contact The Burton on 01237 471455 or download a booking form from

www.burtonartgallery.co.uk.

Venue Contact Details:
THE BURTON ART GALLERY & MUSEUM, Kingsley Road, Bideford EX39 2QQ
(e) burtonartgallery@torridge.gov.uk   (t) 01237 471455 (w) www.burtonartgallery.co.uk

Opening Hours:

Monday – Saturday, 10am – 4pm, Sunday 11am – 4pm.