The Elizabeth lines line-wide exhibition sees renowned British and international artists work on show including Turner Prize winner Richard Wright
Passengers travelling on Transport for London’s (TfL) new Elizabeth line can enjoy public artworks displays at stations and in nearby public spaces. The exhibition includes work by British artists Richard Wright, Chantal Joffe and Simon Periton and American artist Spencer Finch.
The artworks capture elements of local areas and communities whilst connecting the long history and philosophy which places art at the heart of London’s transport network in a bid to enhance customer experience.
Each of the pieces has been created to offer interaction both physically and conceptually with each station and illustrates the many positives of location-specific commissioning.
The artworks featured include:
- ‘A Cloud Index’ by Spencer Finch which can be seen at Paddington station. The 120-metre long, 18-metre wide artwork sees 32 different types of clouds drawn in pastel which have then been printed onto glass panels and makes up a picture of clouds in a blue sky with a nod to English landscape paintings by Constable and Turner. The impressive piece can be enjoyed on the station canopy in the concourse area by the ticket gates of the Elizabeth line station
Spencer Finch, A Cloud Index, 2016. Paddington station (Elizabeth line). Commissioned as part of The Crossrail Art Programme. Courtesy of the artist and Lisson Gallery // Credit: GG Archard
- ‘No title’ by Turner Prize winner Richard Wright has been installed at Tottenham Court Road station. The remarkable artwork sees an intricately detailed geometric gold-leaf pattern which has been painstakingly hand-gilded by the artist and a team of assistants. It can be seen on the ceiling above the escalators in the Elizabeth line Tottenham Court Road station’s eastern ticket hall, located at Charing Cross Road
Richard Wright, no title, 2018. Tottenham Court Road station (Elizabeth line). Commissioned as part of The Crossrail Art Programme. Courtesy of the artist and Gagosian // Credit: GG Archard
- ‘Avalanche’ and ‘Spectre’ by artist Simon Periton can be enjoyed at Farringdon station. ‘Avalanche’ sees the tracery of huge diamonds as a nod to the goldsmiths, jewellers, and ironsmiths of Hatton Garden which is nearby. The stunning artwork is located in the western ticket hall of the Elizabeth line station at Farringdon. ‘Spectre’ sees a detailed curved pattern printed on the exterior glazing and runs around three sides of the building and is inspired by the Victorian metalwork of the nearby Smithfield Market. ‘Spectre’ can be enjoyed at the eastern ticket hall of the Elizabeth line station, off Long Lane.
Simon Periton, Avalanche, 2016. Farringdon station (Elizabeth line). Commissioned as part of The Crossrail Art Programme. Courtesy the artist and Sadie Coles HQ // Credit: GG Archard
- ‘A Sunday Afternoon in Whitechapel’ by Chantal Joffe and featured at Whitechapel station. The beautiful artwork reflects the local east London community enjoying a regular Sunday afternoon and can be seen spanning across the station’s platforms
- ‘Transitions’ by Israeli artist Michal Rovner is featured at Canary Wharf station and is a video artwork installation and is 16 metres in length and reflects architectural elements, monuments and movement of people throughout history and time. The imposing artwork can be found at Crossrail Place which leads down to the Elizabeth line station ticket hall.
Michal Rovner, Transitions, 2019 (installation view), LED video wall, installed at Canary Wharf, Crossrail Station (The Elizabeth Line) // Credit: Michal Rovner Studio.
Further to these amazing artworks will see British Afro-Caribbean artist Sonia Boyce OBE RA artwork titled ‘Newham Trackside Wall’. The incredible piece is over a mile in length making it one of the longest artworks in the country running through Custom House, Silvertown and North Woolwich. The artwork deeply reflects the local community and has seen contributions from over 170 testimonies of local residents woven into the final piece. The artwork was commissioned by Crossrail, curated by UP Projects and engineered by Atkins. ‘Newham Trackside Wall’ has a dedicated website which features all of the community testimonies and further information about the artwork and can be found here: http://www.newhamtracksidewall.com
Newham Trackside Wall by Sonia Boyce OBE RA, 2021, commissioned by Crossrail, Curated by UP Projects // Credit: Thierry Bal
Artist Simon Periton said: “The work will be experienced in glimpses and that’s where a public artwork is different to putting a piece in a gallery… it will be observed for smaller amounts of time but more regularly, so it’s completely different viewing experience.”
Artist Chantal Joffe said:
“All my thinking around this project has been about the journeys we make and how we make them our own – through the people we see on a daily basis or private maps of significant places we carry in our heads. Part of the challenge has been to develop small intimate collages into large scale works and to retain a sense of the personal in a public space.”
Eleanor Pinfield, Head of Art on the Underground, said: “I am delighted that customers using the newly launched Elizabeth line can enjoy major art installations across the central stations by acclaimed British and international artists. The opening of the line sees a huge expansion in artworks that can be enjoyed by the public as they make their journeys in London. We invite the public to step out of their daily routine to observe civic spaces anew.”
Founded in 2014, the Crossrail Art Foundation has seen support and funding from the City of London Corporation to start up and maintain the public art programme for central Elizabeth line stations. The Crossrail Art Programme by the Crossrail Art Foundation hopes to connect the stations to their locality whilst bringing inspirational spaces across the line-wide public art exhibition.
Simon Periton, Spectre, 2016. Farringdon station (Elizabeth line). Commissioned as part of The Crossrail Art Programme. Courtesy the artist and Sadie Coles HQ // Credit: GG Archard
Care of the artworks has now been transferred to TfL’s Art on the Underground team.
Michael Cassidy CBE, Chairman of the Crossrail Art Foundation said: “This moment marks the magnificent culmination of a decade-long process to create an arts legacy to match the engineering triumph of the Crossrail venture. At no cost to the railway project itself, the charity set out to deliver individual experiences at the below-surface stations that enhance the traveller environment and provide a talking point relating to where each venue sits. We trust that the programme will excite and intrigue all who pass through.”
https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2022/05/acclaimed-artists-commissioned-work-on-show-across-londons-elizabeth-line.html
