Richard Long

I thought it was worth mentioning that the artist that informed my work and thinking over the semester the most has been Richard Long. I repeatedly visited his site and read text about his work for inspiration in my own works over the past few months. Here are some places for people to start if they liked Long's work as well...

video of a talk

BRUSHED PATH  A LINE IN NEPAL

A 21 DAY FOOTPATH WALK 1983

There are of course many more works that inspired me, and I would like to write more about Richard Long in coming posts, as well as the other artists I researched over the semester.

Pilgrimage route

I just wanted to take a little time to post the route that I traveled along for the Pilgrimage to Nana piece. As you can see the middle section is particularly straight and long, creating some trance inducing qualities.

The line of the route will actually make up a tattoo that I will be getting in the next few weeks, as a sort of drawn reminder of the action. This way I will always be present to explain this particular piece and will always remember the path I traveled for Nana.

Pilgrimage to Nana

Here is the final video that was shown during our critique. I intend to post a longer version as well, but as it stands, this is the final video work.

Thank you.

Walking on Water Fake

This was proven to be a fake by Mythbusters, but nonetheless it is a nice video.

Liquid Mountaineering

Reflection: October 30, 2011

This was my final day of walking. It was the most difficult markedly, but also the most rewarding. There were several points at which I thought I would not be able to complete the pilgrimage. However, the need to fulfill my task loomed greatly over me. I had to finish the walk as surely as one must find nourishment each day. In many ways, the pilgrimage was my nourishment; keeping my mind off bodily hunger and feeding my spirit driving me to succeed.

I knew early on that if there were any stops today and my forward motion was stalled, I would fail. Only once did I stop briefly to retrieve food from my pack and eat while continuing on my path.

When I saw the first tall buildings from Sarnia it signaled he closeness of Point Edward. This was definitely a morale boost for me. When I was walking through Sarnia to get to Point Edward, I was joined by my Dad. He walked with me for the last two or three kilometers to Nana's house. We discussed the journey and it really helped me to keep going and reach my goal.

My arrival at Nana's was bliss. I saw her for the first time in months. Most of her hair is gone now, and her demeanor has been softened by morphine. I couldn't help seeing her as she was though, she was my Nana and always would be. Nothing will ever change that.

Our visit was short, but meant the world to me. Both Nana and Papa were very proud of what I had done and they seemed to appreciate it deeply, perhaps more so than me. I am still more or less confused by the meaning of the pilgrimage to me. It was an interesting endeaveor to be sure, but there is much that needs to be resolved within me as yet to complete it.

They knew what I had done though and that I love them. Now, I've proven that to myself as well.

Reflection: October 29, 2011

(Re written from pilgrimage journal)

My second day of walking was a surprise. The first few steps were painful as I had expected,, then when my body warmed up I really got into the rhythm of walking again.This day had no turns save for a short 180 meter jag at Forest Road. The path was straight and undeviating. It was daunting. Upon reaching Fisher Line I hit a definite wall mentally and physically. However, I was able to push through for another hour and a half of walking before my checkpoint of the day.

There were various points of interest during the walk today. There were two dogs who followed me for a number of kilometers and kept good company while they were alongside me after their initial displeasure at my arrival. Later, they got into a minor scuffle with some other farm dogs and decided to turn around and return home.

The hardest part of the day was the three or four kilometer incline that I had to ascend after passing a sugar beet harvest. Again the physically daunting task loomed over me though I was able to climb up and over this obstacle.

Along the road I passed a crippled bird. I had contemplated various actions including taking it with me to attempt to heal its wing, even the thought of a mercy killing crossed my mind. My indecision as nearly as crippling to me as the birds wing was to it. I decided to go on and leave the bird; after all, I was not meant to intervene with nature on this pilgrimage and I know almost nothing of birds unfortunately.

It seemed almost as if I was being tested with these things I was seeing along my path. The dead dear and the dying bird. Maybe it could be seen as over analysis, but I think they somehow helped me to come to terms with my grandmother's terminal illness and the unrelenting passage of time in nature. The frailty of life.

Reflection: October 28, 2011

(Re written from pilgrimage journal)

Many times today I questioned the purposes of this walk. What is its purpose other than to arrive at my destination? If that was the only reason for going, then why hadnt I decided just to drive instead?


The longer I walked, the more it made sense somehow. It means more that I am doing this in order to see her rather than taking the easy way out. In the same way buying indulgences is the easy way out of sin, driving would have been the easy way out for this journey. The pilgrimage holds a greater purpose than other methods of travel. It serves as a sort of penance for what has transpired.

I am putting myself to the test, to measure my body's endurance and its relevance in love of my grandmother. It may not make much sense to anyone else, or indeed to myself yet, but I am hoping that its purpose becomes clear during the walk and perhaps after I arrive at Nana's.