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LABYRINTH

LABYRINTH

A Journey Through London's Underground by Mark Wallinger

by Mark WallingerChristian Wolmar Will Self and others
Hardback
Publication Date: 06/10/2014

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London's underground railways are an expression of the spread and diversity of the most international of capitals. Indeed, for many Londoners, the subterranean network is the very essence of the city, its arteries carrying the pulse of urban life from the heart of the metropolis out to its farthest extremities and beyond. How to capture that breadth in one work of art? How to celebrate a single system while also reflecting the millions of lives that it transports every day? That was the challenge facing Turner Prize-winning artist Mark Wallinger. His response was to create a vast, permanent work of public art across the entire network, layered with rich cultural and historical references. In each of the Underground's 270 stations, he placed a uniquely designed labyrinth, an ancient symbol representing spiritual and imaginative voyages akin to the countless circuitous journeys made on the Tube. Labyrinth: A Journey Through London's Underground by Mark Wallinger is a compelling record of this extraordinary project. But more than that, it is also a vivid celebration of the London Underground and of London itself. Striking photographs of all the labyrinths in situ reveal the diverse face and fabric of the network and its users, while fascinating facts about each station and their surrounds bring surprising perspectives to the daily commute. Transport historian Christian Wolmar tells the story of the emergence and development of London's subterranean rail network and the important role it has played in shaping the metropolis and those who live in it. Novelist Will Self responds to Wallinger's piece with a personal reflection that takes us into the depths of memory and through the disorientating effects of urban life; while writer and academic Marina Warner, in conversation with the artist, explores the historic and mythological significance of the labyrinth and places the project in the context of Wallinger's practice. Much more than a document of the creation of a work of art, this book is also a unique portrait of a system that keeps London going, the very lifeblood upon which it depends and thrives.
ISBN:
9781908970169
9781908970169
Category:
Art & design styles: from c 1960
Format:
Hardback
Publication Date:
06-10-2014
Publisher:
Art / Books
Country of origin:
United Kingdom
Pages:
320
Dimensions (mm):
250x250x32mm
Weight:
2.06kg
Christian Wolmar

Christian Wolmar writes regularly for a wide variety of publications including the Independent, Evening Standard and Rail magazine, and appears frequently on TV and radio as a commentator on transport issues.

His previous books include the widely-acclaimed The Subterranean Railway; Fire and Steam; Blood, Iron and Gold; Engines of War; The Great Railway Revolution and To the Edge of the World.

Will Self

Will Self is the author of The Quantity Theory of Insanity, winner of the 1993 Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize, Grey Area, Cock & Bull, My Idea of Fun, The Sweet Smell of Psychosis, Great Apes, Tough, Tough Toys for Tough, Tough Boys, Dorian, How the Dead Live, which was shortlisted for the Whitbread Novel of the Year 2002, and The Book of Dave. He lives in London.

Marina Warner

Marina Warner's study of the Arabian Nights, Stranger Magic (2011) won the Truman Capote Award for Literary Criticism and the Sheikh Zayed Book Award in 2013; in 2015 she was awarded the Holberg Prize in the Arts and Humanities and was made DBE.

She is a Professor of English and Creative Writing at Birkbeck College, a Fellow of the British Academy and President of the Royal Society of Literature.

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