New Publication Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair 2023

Coastal Defence

Series of 6 engravings–

55 Water Street

Alphabet City

Interstate 95

Manhattan Beach

Mill Basin

South Street

Multiple block reduction wood engraving & woodcut in 7 impressions from 4 blocks
Edition 25
Blocks: 12.5(h) x 19(w) cm
Paper: 26.5(h) x 36.5(w) cm, Zerkall 150 gsm

£475 each

Special Set Price for 6 engravings £2250

COASTAL DEFENCE is a new series of engravings exploring coastal erosion and climate change in a local and global context. The series looks at the idea of connectedness, place, and loss. It considers how the sea connects coastal places around the world and draws parallels between a quiet, Norfolk coast and all coastal regions and cities around the world set to be impacted by sea-level rise.

These engravings  combine drawings of the rock armour and reefs built to protect the Norfolk seawall,  with drawings of maps of the 1953 flood damage recorded at Sea Palling, a coastal village in Norfolk, and drawings of projected flood maps of New York.

The fragile and temporal nature of the Norfolk coast, set against the ongoing environmental narrative of sea-level rise, raises concerns on a global platform. Tens of millions of people need to consider the impact of this change on their homes, cities, and communities across the globe. The Atlantic is rising three to four times faster than the world’s average sea-levels; by the end of the century, 30% of Americans will live below the current sea level.

Bousfield laments the loss of the Norfolk coast to the sea and questions the role of identity, memory, experience, history, and narrative within the construct of place and home. How will the loss of millions of people’s homes, and the impact of this loss on coastal communities, be managed ethically?

Enquiries to order info@rableygallery.com