Gloucester Road tube station has been the focal point of Transport for London’s “Platform for Art” scheme for years suited, as it is, by having a spare platform which passengers never use as well as a large series of arches which artists seem to be very successful at fitting their material into. The new exhibition at the station opens officially on the 25th July and is by contemporary Japanese artist Chiho Aoshima. I had no idea that a new exihibit had even been put up until I was wandering out this afternoon with no particular agenda and saw a poster.
Chiho Aoshima’s style is unmistakably Japanese and she has created a cityscape of anthopomorphic skyscrapers in a bright two-dimensional landscape to adorn the tall archways on Gloucester Road’s spare platform. In fact, this piece called “City Glow, Mountain Whisper” was previously shown on the New York subway at 17th Street and Union Square. From what little you can see of her work online, she really reminds me of the even more obscure Junko Mizuno but that familiarity is likely the result of me being underfamiliar with Japanese art like this.
I took a few photos in the dim underground light and you can see the gallery of the NYC installation at a New York Subway fan website. It makes a refreshing change to see something like this on the tube; far better than the rather obscure “zero built a nest in my navel” posters that have been baffling the hell out of me for the last few months.
Tags: london, uk, tube, art, platformforart, chihoaoshima, gloucesterroad
I used to work in Kensington and pass through Gloucester Road station on the way. I enjoyd those Platform For Art installations and displays a lot.
I saw an ad for this and wanted to go see it.
I want to see it all the more now I’ve seen your pic, it looks awesome.