As you walk east along Royal Street you will pass below the main railway line from Waterloo. Along the walls of this tunnel are mosaic, based on designs and poetry of William Blake.
William Blake lived all but three years of his life in London, ten of which were lived in North Lambeth.
The house where he lived, on Hercules Road, no longer stands, but a Blue Plaque marks the spot.
William Blake was largely unrecognised throughout his life, but became a highly regarded figure for his poetry in the years following his death.
He was also a prolific painter, with his 'Prophetic Works' being his best known and most controversial.
Project Blake (2000-15) was part of a ten year collaboration between Southbank Mosaic, Future’s Theatre and Southbank Sinfonia. It was also supported by The Heritage Lottery.
Artists worked with 300 volunteers over a period of 7 years to research, design, plan, create and install 70 mosaic based on the words and paintings of William Blake into the railway tunnels of Waterloo Station.
These mosaic turned what were normally, dark and unwelcoming places into street galleries, where the bright and durable works encouraged visitors.
These sound worth seeing. Love William Blake's work. A visionary of sorts. Remember seeing his Ancient if Days projected onto the dome if St Paul's.
ReplyDeleteIt is worth the trip to see these mosaics, as the photos don't do them justice. The 'Ancient of Days' projected on St Paul's Cathedral was a great evening.
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