Central Line Series

The second book in the ‘Tube line’ series, Central Line Series, documents the ambitious programme of temporary commissions that took place along the Central line from 2011 to 2012.

The longest line on the London Underground network, the Central line opened in 1900 and has nearly quadrupled in size, now serving 49 stations and spanning 74 km (46 miles). The Central line’s sheer size presents significant challenges for personal interaction amongst its 1,408 operational staff. Artworks in the Central Line Series take the theme of ‘communication’ as a starting point to explore ideas around interaction, engagement and exchange, in the context of the Central line, and specific locations along the line.

Central Line Series includes projects by Michael Landy, whose Acts of Kindness, 2011, galvinised the city of London to share their experiences of kindness on the tube, and Ruth Ewan, Kerry Andrew, Evlynn Sharp and Laburnum Boat Club, who collaborated to produce A LOCK IS A GATE, 2011, a project involving young people from Hackney in the creation of an album of experimental songs, a book of drawings, posters and tube station artwork, as well as projects by Anna Barham, Alice Channer and Bob and Roberta Smith which further expored the ideas of communication and exchange on the Central line.

Central Line Series includes a newly commissioned illustrated essay on the history of the Central line and an essay on the theme of communication and exchange. Each artwork in the series is represented by images and accompanied by an explanatory text, alongside supplementary material selected by the artist in order to enrich our understanding of the work.

Published in 2012 by Black Dog Publishing Limited
Editors: Charlotte Bonham-Carter, Louise Coysh, Tamsin Dillon