Impermanent Edge
On the East Yorkshire shore, the cliffs and beach at Skipsea is the fastest eroding coastline in Europe. Helen Goodwin’s performative and sculptural interventions aimed to catch the impact of wind, tide and sea on the cliffs, and on human life through the shifting buildings and their contents.
Artist’s statement
Landfalls
On 4 August 2020, eight flags appeared along the eastern coast of England, charting a virtual journey from Brighton to Whitby. One by one they faded until the last one disappeared on 8 September.


GroundWork Gallery, Kings Lynn

University of Hull – Energy and Environment Institute




Scarborough Art Gallery, Scarborough

Tilted / A Traced Village
The process of creating this work took place over several months, during which the world went through a seismic upheaval. To capture this shift, Helen wrote about the creation of Impermanent Edge through a series of diaries. They illustrate the movements through the land and sea that culminated in the sculptural and performative work, and the transformation to a new form of ephemeral sculpture in which the piece exists now.
Tilted / A Traced Village: Part One
Tilted / A Traced Village: Part Two
Helen Goodwin: a conversation
Site Map
About the Artist
Helen Goodwin‘s practice is largely site responsive and performative, often working in chosen remote locations and with an emphasis on impermanence. The particular locality, both people and place, is the basis and provides materials that feed into her work. She is particularly interested in the ever-changing edges of landscapes which has led her to look further at ideas around environmental impermanence. Her work usually lasts only for the duration of an install before it is either, washed, cut or swept away. Helen’s recent work has been exhibited in The Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and Japan.