Relief Map of Wales
In 1987, Paul Davies' made Welsh Water to commission him to create a semi-permanent earthwork sculpture in the shape of the Map of Wales at the shores of Llyn Alaw reservoir (Anglesey). In context with the then European Commission’s “Year of the Environment”, Paul, Art & Design students from then Gwynedd Technical College and local volunteers joined forces over months for building the sculpture, using only local materials. It is one of the first major works of so-called “land art” in Wales and the UK.
Chronology
One of the first sketches for the project (by Paul Davies).
Courtesy of the family.
Work-in-progress 1987.
Picture by Graeme Ashworth.
We can see that there has been little vegetation at that time.
The Relief Map of Wales shortly after its official opening in 1988.
The earthwork around ca. 2000 when the site was still maintained by Welsh Water rangers. You can see the change in vegetation over the years.
February 2023: Richard Huw Morgan (gcbc) performing on the site. You can see how the vegetation has changed vastly. Site has not been maintained for more than a decade.
July 2023: The earthwork responding to Richard Huw Morgan's clearing performance. The sculpture is alive as ever.
October 2023: The Relief Map of Wales transforming again, thanks to the support by AONB warden Owen Davies, his colleagues and many volunteers from the local and further community.
November 2023: Paul's brother Peter (1944-2024) visits the site. This picture shows him amidst the undergrowth of blackthorn and bramble, on the area of the map that would be England (picture by Pete Telfer)
February 2024: The Map shows a clear shape after two days of heavy physical labour. Thanks to Anglesey Council who gifted shells that now provide a good contrast - and allows to easily see a distinctive Wales.
October 2024: A visit to the site by feminist performance group Crone Cast. They helped us to address the limited accessibility of the site by using Paul Davies' language of protest ('Welsh Not') and the persistence of starling.
March 2025: We went to the site to disperse a few more shells around the earth work. While doing that I took this picture of the original ceramic plaque Paul created to mark the entrance of the site.
April 2025: A site visit with students in Environmental Law changed how we understand the term of "semi-permanent" sculpture. How to curate conservation for a semi-permanent sculpture that anticipates its own disappearance?
October 2025: First scored weeding at Llyn Alaw. The earthwork has been covered by nature again. Re-Shaping Wales continues.