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Summer Circle
Annette DiMeo Carlozzi
Curator of American and Contemporary Art for the Blanton Museum of Art,
on the museum’s new acquisition,
Summer Circle (1991)
by contemporary British artist Richard Long
The Blanton Museum of Art has been given two major works of art—Dawn’s Presence
– Two Columns (1969–1975) by Louise Nevelson and Summer Circle (1991) by Richard
Long—in honor of Jack S. Blanton, the museum’s namesake and former chairman of
The University of Texas System Board of Regents, and in memory of his first
wife, Laura Lee Scurlock Blanton (1928–1999).
The Blantons’ three children and their spouses—Eddy and his wife Kelli Blanton,
Jack Jr. and wife Leslie Blanton, and daughter Elizabeth and her husband Peter
Wareing—have donated the works. Dawn’s Presence will be featured in the
galleries of the Blanton’s new museum complex opening in February 2006, and Summer Circle will be installed in the Blanton’s plaza and garden in a special
site designed for the work by noted landscape architect Peter Walker.
Summer Circle (1991) by Richard Long is a significant example of the British
artist’s renowned stone circle series. Made from chunks of Delabole slate
arranged in a dense and complicated pattern on the ground, Summer Circle is one
of his largest works, measuring 29.5 feet in diameter. It was created for Long’s
retrospective exhibition in London at the Hayward Gallery in 1991 and has not
been publicly exhibited since it was installed there. Says the Blanton’s curator
of American and contemporary art, Annette DiMeo Carlozzi: “While we have had the
pleasure of showing borrowed works by Richard Long at the Blanton in years past,
we never dreamed we would have the opportunity to acquire one. Only through the
generosity of the Blanton children could such a major acquisition have been
possible. And thanks to gallerists Lora Reynolds and Anthony d’Offay, an
extraordinary work—one that had been created as a special commission, has an
important exhibition history, and is exceptionally beautiful and typical of the
artist’s work—was made available. Summer Circle will anchor our growing outdoor
sculpture collection and brings breadth and diversity to the Blanton’s unique
collection of international contemporary art.”
Born in 1945 in Bristol, England, Long makes installations that reference his
solo walks in largely unpopulated landscapes. He translates his personal
meditations during these journeys into sculptures and mud drawings that are
created for exhibition spaces and private collections. Pieces composed of flint,
slate, feathers, pine needles, sticks, and other rustic materials become
metaphors for the paths taken on his treks. The sculptures are not meant to be
truthful representations of nature but rather aesthetic documents of Long's
engagement with the land. “Long’s outstanding sculpture will join works by Glenn
Ligon, Bill Viola, and David Reed, among others in our collection, whose
explorations of notions of time offer unique insights into the experience of
contemporary life,” says Carlozzi.
Summer Circle will be installed on the lush grounds of the Blanton’s new home in
a special site designed for the work by renowned landscape architect Peter
Walker. Walker (of Peter Walker & Partners) has designed a plaza and garden,
opening in 2006, which will be a gateway between the Austin community and the UT
campus. The installation will be situated appropriately in a flowering grove on
the southeast corner of the grounds — a quiet spot that is meant to inspire
contemplation and discovery.
One of the foremost university art museums in the country, the Blanton Museum of
Art closed in May to prepare for the Grand Opening of its brand new facility
February 12, 2006 at the corner of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Congress Avenue
on the southern edge of the UT campus. The Blanton’s notable collection of more
than 17,000 works consists of Old Master paintings, modern and contemporary
American and Latin American art, and an encyclopedic collection of prints and
drawings.
Image Credits
Title: Summer Circle, 1991
Artist: Richard Long (b. 1945, Bristol, England)
Medium: Delabole slate
Dimensions: 354 in. (899.16 cm)
Purchase as a gift in honor of Jack S. Blanton, Sr. by his children, 2005
Watercolor rendering by Elizabeth Day, 2005
Images Courtesy: The Blanton Museum of Art
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