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William Cobbing: Dumb mud, I love you
The Burton at Bideford
When: 11 October 2025 to 15 February 2026
Where: The Burton At Bideford, Kingsley Road, Bideford EX39 2QQ
Cost: FREE
Suitable for: Any age
Rooted in sculpture, William’s work encompasses a wide range of media including video, performance and installation. Clay is a central material in his practice, both in its raw and fired form.
‘Despised mud, I love you’ is William’s first solo exhibition in the South West of England, bringing together sculpture and video work that uses clay to explore human interaction and emotional states. Installed alongside The Burton’s ceramic collections, it draws attention to the timeless, primitive qualities of clay that have made it a vital material for individual expression over thousands of years.
Alongside fired objects, video performances made using raw clay subvert our expectations of the material’s possibilities.
The title of this exhibition is a quote from the poem ‘Unfinished Ode to Mud’ by the French poet Francis Ponge (1899-1988). It speaks to William’s interest in clay as a transgressive material, which can provoke conflicting feelings of attraction and repulsion in its wet, muddy, unformed state.
The exhibition is accompanied by a live performance and book launch for the artist’s first major monograph ‘William Cobbing: Social Substance’, taking place on Saturday 8 November 2025.
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Exhibitions & Projects
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William Cobbing: Dumb mud, I love you
The Burton at Bideford
11 October 2025 to 15 February 2026
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National Trust A Living Landscape: New Beginnings at Kipscombe
The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon
24 January 2026 to 14 March 2026
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Hubert Coop and Friends: A Legacy of Art and Influence
The Burton at Bideford
17 January 2026 to 15 March 2026
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The Annual Schools Exhibition
The Burton at Bideford
30 January 2026 to 15 March 2026
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Artists North Devon: A Vibrant Community
The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon
07 February 2026 to 28 March 2026
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This is me Call for entries: Documentary Photography Open 2026
The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon
01 December 2025 to 11 April 2026
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Call for entries Young Digital Documentary Photography Open
The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon
01 December 2025 to 11 April 2026
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Land of the Pharaohs: Egypt on Screen
Bill Douglas Centre
29 January 2026 to 15 May 2026
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Beryl Cook: Pride and Joy
The Box, Plymouth
24 January 2026 to 31 May 2026
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Journeys with Mai
The Box, Plymouth
14 February 2026 to 14 June 2026
