Valerie Coffin Price
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As a sculptor, walker and lettering artist working with issues to do with the environment, language and cultural identity, a sense of place is fundamental to my work. The poetic resonance of language and its connection to the environment drives my work, which explores ideas of mapping in relation to a sense of place, as well as an understanding of community and landscape. In recent projects I have been exploring ideas of mapping in relation to a sense of place, as well as an understanding of community and landscape, looking at the relationships between the human and natural, or man-made, environment. This involves the act of journeying itself. To journey is to explore and discover cultural traces embedded in the land. These traces include fragments of objects, memories, history and remnants of text and sound. It is these 'unseen paths' that connect us to nature, to the liminal, to the invisible world of currents, winds, ideas and language. I tend to work, in blocks of 5-10 years, towards an overall subject matter, existing within this overarching focus are a number of streams of inquiry, or practice. My current area of practice, Intimate Cartographies, involves research into internal and external human geographies, the use of language and their connection to an interior sense of self. The first stage of this work explores the poetic responses of various writers to the landscape and looks into the diversity of languages that we use to connect to our internal and external human geography. By exploring elements of cultural and national identity, my presence in the landscape acts as a link in an ongoing tradition where the artist bears witness to the history of the changing landscape.
Solo exhibitions
2020 - Berlin Water, StAnza Poetry Festival, Byre Theatre, St Andrews
2015 - The River Next Door, Oriel y Bont, Pontypridd
2015 - A Fold in the River, Booth Books, Hay-on-Wye
2011 - Intimate Cartographies, Oriel Canfas, Cardiff
2007 - Distant Voices, Newport Museum & Art Gallery, Newport
2003 - Territoires, Centres des Migrations, Montmagny, Québec, Canada
1996 - Vessels of Sound, Brecnock Museum, Brecon
1995 - The Grave Stanzas, Norwegian Church, Cardiff Bay
1995 - The Grave Stanzas, Prema Arts Centre, Uley, Gloucestershire
Group exhibitions
2025 - Lines of Enquiry, Hardwick Gallery, University of Gloucestershire
2024 - To & Fro, Bath Artists Studios, Bath Fringe Festival
2024 - The Ground Beneath Our Feet, on tour: Dorset Arts Week, West Bay
2024 - Field Walking, Corinium Museum, Cirencester
2024 - Meeting of Minds, ArtCentral, Barry
2023 - The Ground Beneath Our Feet, GroundWork Gallery, King's Lynn, Norfolk
2023 - Sculpture Cymru, MOMA, Machynlleth, Wales
2023 - Postcards for Perec, Waverley Library, Sydney, Australia
2023 - Postcards for Perec, Special Collections Library, University of Essex, Colchester
2023 - Letters to the Earth, Rogart Mart, Sutherland / New Glasgow Society, Glasgow
2022-3 - Postcards for Perec, Special Collections Library, Cardiff University
2022 - Thinking, Courtyard Gallery, Hereford
2022 - The Outposted Project, Three Storeys Gallery, Nailsworth, Gloucesterhsire
2022 - Postcards for Perec, Collins Memorial Library, University of Puget Sound, USA
2022 - Postcards for Perec, Design & Architecture Festival, Istanbul, Turkey
2022 - Postcards for Perec, The Street Gallery, Locksbrook Campus, Bath Spa University
2022 - Paper Exchange, Zhejiang Art Museum, Hangzhou, China
2021 - Printed Poetry Exhibition, Bower Ashton Library, UWE, Bristol
2021 - 2021: Sculpture Cymru at 21, Aberystwyth Arts Centre
2021 - Postcards for Perec, Bower Ashton Library, UWE, Bristol
2021 - Postcards for Perec, Winchester School of Art Library
2021 - The Outposted Project, online mapping exhibition https://twitter.com/outposted1
2021 - Thinking, Aberystwyth Arts Centre | Courtyard Theatre, Hereford
2020 - Butetown Artists, BayArt, Cardiff Bay
2020 - Cartographic Imaginaries, Y Senedd, Cardiff Bay
2019 - Ghost Mills, SVA, Stroud
2019 - Line & Form, Oriel Canfas, Cardiff | ArtCentral, Barry
2019 - Confluence, Museum in the Park, Stroud
2019 - Cartographic Imaginaries, Oriel Davies, Newtown: National Library of Wales: Swansea Museum
2019 - Open Books, Art Central, Barry
2019 - Paper Exchange, BayArt, Cardiff
2018 - Fields of Vision, Boundary Art, Cardiff Bay
2018 - Welsh Sculptors at Work, Bleddfa Arts Centre, Wales
2017 - Library of Pilgrimages, Trowbridge Arts
2017 - Open Books, Jaipur, India
2016-17 - Place, NT Dyffryn Gardens, Wales
2016 - Open Books, LAC Ottawa, Canada
2014 - The Art of Walking, Museum in the Park, Stroud
2013 - RiverMap, Museum in the Park, Stroud: exhibition and seminar
2013 - River-Water, Ruskin Mill, Gloucestersire
2013 - River-Water, The Exchange, Stroud
2012 - Earth, Water, Wind, Sky, The Old Passage, Arlingham, Gloucestershire
2012 - Shades of Grey, Craft in the Bay, Cardiff Bay
2011 - Beyond the Comfort Zone, PhotoStroud, Ruskin Mill, Gloucestershire
2011 - Flood, The Guildhall, Gloucester
2011 - Poetry & Place, Ivor Gurney Conference, Churchdown, Gloucestershire
2011 - WaterWay, The Old Passage, Arlingham, Gloucestershire
2010-11 - The Moment Privacy Has Passed, Usher Gallery, Lincoln
2006 - Distant Horizons, The Gate, Cardiff
2006 - Residues, Llantarnam Grange, Cwmbran
2006 - Shadows, The Senedd, National Assembly for Wales, Cardiff
2005 - One World, Many Voices, Artworks Wales, Cardiff
2004 - From There to Here, Swansea Museum, Swansea
2003 - Presence & Absence, Crawford Arts Centre, St Andrews: touring Highlands & Islands
2003 - Voyage Out, Dock Museum, Barrow-in-Furness
2002 - Waterlines, Newport Museum & Art Gallery, Newport
2000 - Sea Garden, The Gallery, Stratford-upon-Avon Curated projects
2003 - Presence & Absence, Crawford Arts Centre, St Andrews
Residencies
2023 - The Ground Beneath our Feet, GroundWork Gallery, King's Lynn, Norfolk
2023 - WeavingWater @ Yarun, international virtual collaborative project / Yarun, Australia
2022 - Créations sur le Champ, Land Art Festival, Mont-St-Hilaire, Québec
2021 - Open Books Go Digital, virtual collaborative project: Wales & Malaysia
2021 - The Meeting of the Waters, virtual collaborative project: Belgium & Australia
2019 - AiR, Hosking Houses, Warwickshire
2017 - Creative Practitioner, Lead Creative Schools, Llanidloes
2016 - Connected Studio, BBC-Nesta digital innovation project
2007 - Community Art Project, Ty Dyfan, Barry, South Wales
2005 - aa2a Residency, Hereford College of Art & Design, Hereford
2005 - One World, Many Voices, Cywaith Cymru and Welsh Refugee Council, Cardiff
2002 - Sculpture Residency, Est-Nord-Est, Sant Jean Port Joli, Québec, Canada
1998 - Boréal Residency, Boréal Art/Nature, The Laurentians, Québec, Canada
1997 - Public Art Project, SUSTRANS and Cywaith Cymru, Bangor - Caernarfon
1995 - Public Art Project, Margam Sculpture Trust, Margam Sculpture Park, Margam Park
1994 - National Eisteddfod Residency, National Eisteddfod, Neath Community Education, Neath
1993 - Public Art Project, Gloucester City Council, Gloucester
1992 - Public Art Project, Margam Sculpture Trust, Margam Sculpture Park, Margam Park
Publications & Book Projects
2024 - place : identity, collaborative online publication, Space Place Practice
2022 - place : home, collaborative online publication, Space Place Practice
2021 - Troeon-Turnings, bilingual collaboration with Welsh language poet Cyril Jones and English language poet Philip Gross. Published by Seren Books.
2018 - A Part of the Main, a ‘conversation in poetry’ by Lesley Saunders & Philip Gross, published by Mulfran Press
2017-19 - Digital Literary Atlas of Wales, Cardiff University Geography Department
2015 - A Fold in the River, a collaborative book with poet Philip Gross, published by Seren Books, working in direct response to each other and the work as well as alongside one another and the River Taff.
2012-13 - Thinking Like a Wetland, a multi-disciplinary exploration of the wetland environment, with academics from Bristol, Cambridge and East Finland, for a special edition of the international and peer-reviewed Journal of Arts & Communities
Talks, Walks and Conferences
2022 - online talk for Space, Place, Practice research group
2022 - online talk for Last Tuesday Cafe / Walking the Land
2021 - Seren Cardiff Poetry Festival, Cardiff: with poets Cyril Jones & Philip Gross
2020 - StAnza International Poetry Festival, with poet Stephanie Green & sound artist Sonja Heyer
2018 - Walk & Draw workshop, Get Creative Festival, BayArt, Cardiff
2018 - Seren@Cornerstone Poetry Festival, Cardiff
2017 - LAN annual conference, Alan Baxter Gallery, London
2016 - Burnt Poetry conference, Cardiff University
2015 - Poetry Wales, A Fold in the River
2015 - Hay Festival of Literature & Arts, A Fold in the River
2015 - University of Gloucestershire, New Numbers, New Approaches
2014 - Philosophy Town, The Art of Walking
2014 - Double Dialogues conference
2013 - RiverMap conference
2012 - CRASSH, Cambridge University, Climate Histories
Grants
2020 - Wales Art International travel grant
2016 - Wales Art International travel grant
2014 - The Art of Walking, Walking the Land production/expenses grant
2013-4 - Arts Council of Wales: River Next Door project
2102 - Tipping Point bursary
2004 - Arts Council of Wales: Intimate Cartographies project
2003 - Wales Art International travel grant
2002 - Wales Art International travel grant
2002 - Est-Nord-Est, Canada: residency grant
1998 - Oppenheim Downs Award
1998 - Arts Council of Wales
1995 - Arts Council of Great Britain
Public commissions
2002 - Marker Stone for the Millenium, Sites of Meaning, Middleton by Youlgreave, Derbyshire
2002 - Slate fence, Creu-ad, Countryside Council for Wales, Newborough Warren, Angelsey
2001 - Tree of Life, Stoke-on-Trent Council, Staffordshire Partnership, North Staffordshire
Health Trust, Sutherland Centre, Dresden, Stoke-on-Trent
2000 - Millenium Project, Newport City Council, CDG, Park Square, Newport
1998 - Shells, SUSTRANS, Cywaith Cymru, Y Felinheli, Gwynedd
1998 - Stone Roses, SUSTRANS, Cywaith Cymru, Bangor University Botanical Gardens
1997 - The Old Allotments, SUSTRANS, Cywaith Cymru, Gwynedd Council, Caernarfon, Gwynedd
1995 - Public seats and table, Margam Sculpture Trust, Arts Care, Margam Park, South Wales
1993 - Commemorative Plaque, Powys County Council, Royal Welsh Showground, Llanelwedd
1992 - Font, Garden Festival Wales, Garden Festival Wales, Ebbw Vale
1992 - Public seating, Gloucester City Council, Gloucester City Centre