Title: Earth
Artist: Richard Long
Published by: Transport for London
Year: 2009
Size: 634mm x 1015mm (25 x 40 inches)
Acclaimed British artist, Richard Long, has designed the latest pocket Tube map cover for Art on the Underground, available at Tube stations from September 2009. The work, entitled 'Earth', shows the different colours of the Tube lines stacked on top of each other, with the black grid between them referencing the Northern line. The image echoes the format of an I Ching hexagram symbolising 'Earth'. The Earth symbol for the Tube map is an obvious choice for Long, whose work involves an exploration of the earth's surface, time, distance, geaography and measurement.
Art on the Underground is London Underground's ground-breaking arts programme, recognised around the world as one of the best examples of public realm contemporary art. High quality art and design are the essence of London Underground's (LU) globally recognised brand, and have been in place since Frank Pick established the concept of 'Total Design' for the network to be its unifying principle. Art on the Underground is built on this crucial legacy. It is central to London Underground's identity and dedicated to building on LU's renowned artistic heritage. It has been hugely successful in positioning LU at the heart of London's cultural life, and has been universally acclaimed, having recently won the international Cultural Action award for art on public transport.