Richard Long, 'Mud Sun', 2025

Contemporary artist Richard Long explores mark-making as one of the most basic human actions. His work Mud Sun does so at a monumental level. It measures nearly five by six metres and is set seven metres above ground – widely visible to visitors. Placed at the top of the main stairs in the National Gallery’s Sainsbury Wing, it connects early paintings from the thirteenth to the sixteenth century with works by High Renaissance artists. When walking up the stairs, a large tan circle gradually comes into sight. As we walk closer, its surface reveals a dazzling structure of swipes and swirls. The forceful strokes create intricate patterns, while splashes and drips of mud radiate outward. The vigorous marks draw attention to the physical nature of the artwork’s making, emphasising the act of artistic creation itself.

Mud Sun was made using tidal mud from the River Avon, near Long’s home town of Bristol. The artist applied the mud by hand in a simple circle, following the shape and size of the space where it was displayed. Long’s method is direct – he lets drips and splashes stay, making them a key part of the work. This shows us the motion of his hand, the raw quality of the mud and the process of how the artwork was made. In this way, it highlights the artist’s role and the use of simple materials.

Richard Long was born in Bristol in 1945 and studied at the West of England College of Art, Bristol and St Martin’s School of Art, London. In 1967, he gained attention for A Line Made by Walking, a path worn into grass by walking back and forth. The piece was temporary and did not aim to be grand or lasting. It reduced sculpture to its most basic idea: a person acting in their environment. Through this simple act of walking, Long challenged the traditional emphasis on artistic authorship and permanent objects of value. Over the years, Long has added walks, mud works, text pieces and prints to his practice. He always uses his own body as his main tool, and his works respond closely to the space and surroundings where they are made. Since the 1960s, Long has been seen as part of a global group of artists who have pushed art beyond its usual forms and materials. Today, he is considered one of the most important British artists of the last century.

Mud Sun can be understood as a flat sculpture. It shows the process and labour of its own making, while using a simple material that is itself linked to myths of creation. While distinctly modern, it nods to the artists of the past and the history they left behind, celebrating creativity from ancient times to the present day.

Supported by Lisson Gallery.