Traveling The Landscape : Dreaming and Reality
A research visit to Tate Modern beckons. The chance to take in work by Australian artist Emily Kam Kngwarray - an artist new to me, and English born Richard Long - someone I am more familiar with. Kngwarray’s work comes from Alhalker, a region of land in the Northern Territory of Australia, specifically in the Central Desert Sandover region, to the northeast of Alice Springs. Long's work encompasses locations from across the world. Both artists explore the land, through topography, geography, geology and more - albeit in very different ways. I travelled to London with Carole, hoping their work would inspire and inform me and my current project, ‘The Path’.
“For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, the concept of Country encompasses the lands, skies and waters to which they are deeply connected, over countless generations. Country is a shared place of spiritual, social and geographical origins. Kngwarray’s art embodies her detailed knowledge of the places where she lived throughout her life with layered motifs representing the plants, animals and geological features that formed the desert ecosystems around her.”
Emily Kam Kngwarray
I’d never before experienced work by this artist - you may well not have done either, given that the exhibition currently on at Tate Modern is the first large scale show of her work ever held in Europe.
The early work on show, first batiks then works on canvas, are impressive yet modest in size. Kngwarray quickly scales up, in subsequent rooms lengthy batiks hang from the ceiling, and the canvas pieces on the walls are sizeable. Something I’m drawn to is how the works look so very different at distance, than when seen close up. As you walk back and take in the work - the patterns and dots become something more akin to pathways and topography. I love how the change happens right before your eyes. Aboriginal culture is not something I yet know much about - so I hope it is OK to say that the writing in the show about dreams, combines with a sense of magic about the work in a way that resonates with me when I think about landscape and our connection to The Path. The exhibition runs until 11th January 2026.
A description of Dreaming which accompanies the art on show
Hanging Batiks
Anwerlarr (Yam) Dreaming
“My work really is just about being a human living on this planet and using nature as its source … I enjoy the simple pleasures of wellbeing, independence, opportunism, freedom, dreaming, happenstance; of passing through the land and sometimes stopping to leave (memorable) traces along the way.”
Richard Long
I first learned about Richard Long on a research visit to the Tate Archives. This visit was organised while on a relief printing and bookbinding course, run at The Art Academy by the talented tutor and artist, Carol Wilhide Justin ARE.
The research visit was focused on artists books - and though Richard Long’s work extends far beyond the pages of his books - into sculpture and land art, I was drawn to the clarity and simplicity of these written* and photographic works we were introduced to. Check out WANDERINGWONDERING - just one example from an extensive catalogue.
I love how Richard Long is able to distil the essence of several days walking into just a few lines. Learning about his work is part of what inspired me to delve into creative writing myself - focusing on local nature, currently in a more narrative and poetic way? I’m keen to try this distillation idea for myself too - but I worry it might be seen as copying - or too obvious? Anyway, I digress.
The work currently on show in Tate Modern is a mix of drawing onto maps, textworks, photography, sculptures, and a large reimagined wall painting, the original of which featured in the opening of the gallery back in 2000.
Huge flint circle, with china clay wall painting in the background. I didn’t write down the exact details but you get the idea, I hope!
Although Richard Long works all over the world, I find the work he makes based on time spent in the UK particularly fascinating - perhaps because it reflects my own experiences of walking in nature more closely? I don’t know how long this collection of Richard Long’s work is on show for - it’s free to wander in and I thoroughly recommend you do just that.
And as surely as Summer walks out the door and Autumn brings in falling leaves, long trousers and a jumper, I found today’s research particularly invigorating. I’ve done a lot of field work since my residency at The Hide last year. At the time, my host, Alice, advised me not to rush. She was right to suggest some time to reflect, and I think it’s now time to get to work.