is a major talking point.  Richard is an artist of international standing with work in collections all over the world, including his ‘Delabole Slate Circle’ in the Modern Art Gallery of Bristol Museum & Art Gallery (see the ‘Acquistions’ page).  He was born in Bristol and still lives in the area. Although he was busy planning a major exhibition in New York this year, he agreed to make two works for M Shed.

Richard chose the west foyer for his mud work ‘River Avon Muddy Circle’, and text piece ‘From Bristol to the Sea.’ The latter is in vinyl lettering, mounted on the wall opposite the mud piece.  The staircase goes up between them and both works can be seen from the stairs, or the landing between the ‘Place’ and ‘People’ galleries.

For his mud work Richard used mud collected from the River Avon and smeared it with his bare hands over metres of gallery wall, in a pattern of swirles, splatters and drips.  Whilst the work itself had to be done quickly, a great deal of planning was necessary to ensure that the placement and scale of the Circle were appropriate for the space available, and, indeed, that it formed a perfect circle.

Date added 2 July 2011