"The Bobby Moore Sculpture" (2007)

Statue of Bobby Moore, Wembley (via Wikipedia):

The subject of the statue is the English footballer Bobby Moore OBE (1941–1993). Moore, who died of cancer aged 51, was the captain of West Ham United and England team, and had led England to victory at the 1966 World Cup at old Wembley. The statue is a tribute to Moore's unique achievement of being a World Cup winning England captain, and was commissioned in response to a Football Association fan poll to find the greatest England player of the last 50 years, won "hands down" by Moore.

Jackson sought to create a sculpture that "captures the qualities associated with Bobby Moore, namely integrity, loyalty, leadership, popularity and humility but above all as the greatest-ever English footballer." [..] On unveiling, Jackson said "What emerged [from the design consultation] was he was this extraordinary presence in the team, which gave this enormous confidence and allowed the team to sort of win through in '66 and so I created the sculpture in this sort of old fashioned heroic style." […]

Henry Winter of The Daily Telegraph, writing in 2009, described how the statue "captures Moore's dignity", and is the place where everyone on their way into Wembley pauses for a moment to admire "this magnificent likeness of the most important figure in the history of English sport and [give] thanks for 1966".

The twice life size (20ft) figure sculpted by the Royal Sculptor Philip Jackson watches over arriving fans as they make their way along Olympic Way to the Stadium.

The statue includes a moving inscription by Sports Journalist Jeff Powell who was a close friend, biographer and the best man at Moore's wedding:

“Immaculate footballer. Imperial defender. Immortal hero of 1966. First Englishman to raise the World Cup aloft. Favourite son of London’s East End. Finest legend of West Ham United. National Treasure. Master of Wembley. Lord of the game. Captain extraordinary. Gentleman of all time”

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Shenley Park Mural

As part of a £1.8 million improvement scheme appealingly 'retro' murals have been used to add interest and also provide signage to Shenley Park and the library.

Hillingdon Council has a complete list of the transformations here.

"The Meeting Place" (2009)

"The Meeting Place" is a 9m high bronze sculpture of a couple locked in an intimate embrace by the world renowned sculptor Paul Day:

“The couple itself will be the icon of the sculpture but around the base, on the frieze, I look at all kinds of different meetings and one of the things that made me think about that was the film ‘Love Actually’. At the airport scene, when you get all the characters together and suddenly the doors open and out come the people that have been away and you get all sorts of meetings and people being reunited. I think that is an interesting slice of life and in a way the relief around the base has to be a rich tapestry about people getting together again after being apart. All separation involves a suspended moment when one wonders is this forever?”

The eternal couple (modelled after the sculptor and his wife Catherine) stand frozen in time underneath the famous St Pancras clock at the apex of the great arch of the Barlow shed. Around the base is a wonderfully sculptured frieze of striking composition.

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"Welcome" Mural

Aside from this charming 'Welcome to Burnt Oak' mosaic, the area has several other murals and public artworks.

Middlesex 3 by Tamsin Baker (via 80 Days):

After Harrow I visited South Harrow, Edgware, wealdstone and a little place called Burnt Oak which had these murals: […]

I think I like them even better Ripley’s wildlife one. Particularly as all the people have extremely surprised expressions, as if they’d been painted completely off-guard.

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"Clove" (2007)

The March 2008 issue of Rio Tinto Review, available on Scribd has this to say about the newly commissioned piece that stands outside the Rio Tinto offices:

It's one of the first things visitors to the Paddington Regional Centre will notice – a 7m high abstract sculpture, loosely based on a tree. The work of sculptor Bryan Kneale, "Clove" stands outside the building in a paved area to the east, flanked by live topiary. The choice of materials, stainless steel in a combination of highly polished and matt satin finishes supported by a copper "trunk", is clearly no coincidence. All new buildings in London are obliged to display a piece of public art, but the developer's original proposal of two glass statues to be erected in the entrance did not accurately reflect Rio Tinto's business, so the Group commissioned its own work. Neil Usher explains, "We wanted a landmark that would be seen as a valuable addition to public art in the capital and would demonstrate our appreciation of contemporary British sculpture." Its title has lent a brand name to the building's Clove coffee bar and restaurant.

Bryan Kneale RA

Born on the Isle of Man in 1930, Kneale trained as an artist and sculptor in London and Rome, before teaching at Hornsey College of Art and Design, and then at the Royal College of Art. He was also Master and later Professor of Sculpture at the Royal Academy between 1982 and 1990. In addition, numerous exhibitions of his own painting and sculptures have been held since the 1950's, and his works are displayed in countries such as Australia, Brazil, New Zealand and the United States. In the USA, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City includes examples of his work amongst its public collections.

[Kneale is the younger brother of the screenwriter Nigel Kneale (1922–2006), best known for his Quatermass television serials.]

"King Edward VII" (1911)

King Edward VII statue in bronze outside Tooting Broadway tube station, sculptor L.F. Roselieb (1878–1934), erected 1911.

Edward VII statue stands outside which station? A weekend quiz for you and your family (via Travel with Angela Lansbury):

Yes, I could not get this wrong. I gave a talk on the kings and Queens of England to a Toastmasters speakers training meeting in Singapore at the time of the royal wedding. I had devised a memory aid for George V and George VI. George the Fifth in the First world war (FF) and George the Sixth in the Second World War (SS).

Edward VIII was the king who abdicated. Queen Victoria did not hold her son Edward VII in high esteem because she blamed him for the death of Albert. Dear Albert had gone to rescue Edward from visiting a lady, worse than philandering - oh dear, say no more. If you don't know, look it up.

So, if you feel prudish and disapproving like Queen Victoria, you can toot at Edward VII, mentally, only mentally, because tooting with car horns is not the done thing in the UK where we flash lights as silent signals in daytime as well as at night.

The exterior of Tooting Broadway station (which I suppose includes the statue) makes it to no. 79 on 150 great things about the Underground.

Arsenal Legends

Bergkamp To Have Statue At The Emirates (via Ajaxfansuk409):

The statue is based on the classic image of the former Holland striker controlling the ball in the air against Newcastle in 2003. Sculptures of Henry, Adams and Chapman were erected in December 2001 and it is thought Bergkamp will be unveiled before the start of the 2013-14 season.

An Arsenal spokesman said: “We currently have statues outside Emirates Stadium commemorating three legends in Arsenal’s history — Herbert Chapman, Tony Adams and Thierry Henry — and we’re delighted that they have been extremely popular with visitors to the stadium. […]

Bergkamp was signed by Bruce Rioch from Inter Milan for £7.5million in 1995.

He went on to score 120 goals in 423 games for the Gunners, winning three Premier League titles and four FA Cups.

Visit the link to see the unfinished (at the time) sculpture and the shot of the real Bergkamp's spectacular mid-air ball control.

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"Newton" (1995)

The large piazza in front of the British Library includes a large bronze sculpture of Sir Isaac Newton by Eduardo Paolozzi, inspired by William Blake's 1795 study Newton. As with the Blake original it illustrates how Isaac Newton's equations changed our view of the world to being one determined by mathematical laws. Several of Newton's most significant scientific papers are preserved in the Library's collection.

From the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences "Paolozzi's Sculpture of Isaac Newton":

The maquette of Paolozzi's sculpture is based on a sculpture commissioned for the new British Library at St Pancras. Sir Eduardo Paolozzi (1924 - 2005) gave it to the Institute. The choice of Blake's engraving of Newton as the model for the sculpture caused some controversy, as Blake was known to be deeply anti-scientific and displayed profound antagonism to Newtonian rationalism. Paolozzi was inspired by the union between two British geniuses, both representing nature, poetry, art, and architecture. Rodin's famous sculpture also springs to mind. Paolozzi decided that this synthesis of concepts would be ideal for the new British Library.

Rachel Huddart, writing for the British Library's Science blog:

When I started work at the Library, Newton’s statue struck me as a strange way to honour one of our greatest scientists. He doesn’t stand proudly over the piazza, gazing out at the visitors, but is bent over his compass, seemingly oblivious to everything around him. There isn’t even any sign of the famous apple. Surprisingly, the sculptor who created the statue, Eduardo Paolozzi, used a picture that criticises Newton as his inspiration. William Blake’s study of Newton, which is on display in Tate Britain, shows Newton sitting on a rock, absorbed in his work and ignorant of the colour and beauty on the rock that he sits on. The print is believed to show Blake’s disdain for Newton’s scientific thinking at the expense of nature and creativity. Paolozzi saw the work as a connection between the arts and science and between two great historical figures, despite their differences.

This is a striking and iconic sculpture which is truly representative of a great shift in human thinking. I love that it is both beautiful and thought-provoking even with the context removed; it simultaneously depicts man as animal, as well as capturing the act of thinking itself - perhaps even of understanding.

"Traffic Light Tree" (1998)

Traffic Light Tree is a public sculpture created by the French artist Pierre Vivant. Its design in some ways reflects the restlessness and impatience of Canary Wharf.

Eight metres tall and containing 75 traffic lights, each controlled by computer, the sculpture was described by Vivant thus:

The Sculpture imitates the natural landscape of the adjacent London Plane Trees, while the changing pattern of the lights reveals and reflects the never ending rhythm of the surrounding domestic, financial and commercial activities.

Traffic Light Tree was installed in 1998 on the site of a plane tree that was suffering as a result of pollution. It was initially intended that the lights would be triggered to reflect flurries of activity on the London Stock Exchange, but this proved to be too expensive to put into practice.

Although some motorists were initially confused by the traffic lights, mistaking them for real signals, the sculpture soon became a favourite among both tourists and locals. In 2005, Saga Motor Insurance commissioned a survey asking British motorists about the best and worst roundabouts in the country. The one containing Traffic Light Tree was the clear favourite.

As part of remodelling work to the original location on Westferry roundabout, Tower Hamlets Council reinstalled the iconic piece at the Trafalgar Way roundabout near Billingsgate Market at the other end of Canary Wharf.

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Hitchcock Mosaics

Alfred Hitchcock mosaics, Leytonstone (via The joy of shards):

Alfred Hitchcock was born at 517 High Road, Leytonstone, in the east of London on 13th August 1899. To mark 100 years since this event, and to commemorate the director's link with the area, 17 mosaics have been installed in the entrance corridors of Leytonstone tube station. They were made in vitreous glass tesserae, using the reverse method, by Greenwich Mural Workshop. The work required some 80,000 tiles, took seven months to complete, and the final installation took place during April 2001.

The mosaics are quite stunning and make Leytonstone my favourite station on the entire network. The still-frame images somehow capture the essence of each film they depict and are well chosen. I particularly like Strangers on a Train, To Catch a Thief, Suspicion, and of course Vertigo featuring the nightmarish scene in the church tower. Any Hitchcock fan should make a pilgrimage here, they won't be disappointed.

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Motifs & Shying Horses

There are two distinct works of art at the station, both depicting black horses, in reference to the station's name. One is in the form of a tile motif depicting a black horse on a white cameo against a light blue background (identical to the colour of the Victoria line). It was done by Hans Unger, who also did the tile motif at Seven Sisters tube station, the original platform mural at Green Park and the ticket hall at Oxford Circus. 

Hans Unger (1915 - 1975) was born in Prenzlau, Germany, and went on to study graphic art with the poster designer Jupp Wiertz in Berlin, before emigrating to South Africa in 1936. He fought for the South African army in the Second World War broke out, and was briefly captured - and then escaped from - the Italian army in North Africa. After the war he settled in London and co-founded the Unger Mosaic Workshop. He designed many posters and artworks for London Transport (1950-74). His other works include mural mosaics for Lewisham Town Hall and the Royal Free Hospital, London, as well as the stained glass windows of many English churches.

Sadly, as noted by Gerald Cinamon at German Designers:

Although a sense of humor pervades Unger’s work, he committed suicide in London in 1975.

The other mural (by David McFall) is outside the station's entrance, of a black stallion titled Shying Horse, 1968. David McFall (1919 – 1988) was a Glaswegian sculptor.

Notable works include Bull Calf, which was selected for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and bought for the Tate in 1942 while McFall was still a student; Boy & Foal, which featured in the Dome of Discovery at the Festival of Britain; and a major statue of Winston Churchill in Woodford Green.

Baseball Cap Girl

Spotted 7th Feb 2016

New Irony Street Art In Tooting (via London Calling Blog):

This morning we are back in Tooting, an area that is currently undergoing a colourful transformation due to the great work of The Real Art of Street Art and Irony, who have set to start decorating the Tooting Market and it’s surrounding walls with a series of beautiful murals. The project may be pretty fresh but it is already coming into its own, with there currently being some twelve works already to be seen in the area and nine of those put up since the new year. [..]

The work is most striking and really suits it location just along Tooting High Street, depicting a hyper-realistic portrait of a woman dressed in hoodie and baseball cap with a rather mischievous looking cat resting along her shoulders.

It is sometimes easy to forget how much effort, skill and artistry goes into these works, demonstrated by London Calling Blog's series of photos on a new Nick Flatt & Seeds One Collaboration in North London.

Torsion II

Torsion II, cast iron, by Charles Hadcock.

The Canary Wharf estate website:

It is an example of the artist’s practice of revisiting his sculptures over time, transforming them in the process, part of his strategy to kick-start new ideas and new sources of inspiration.

Here Hadcock added further sections to an existing work Torsion I

HyperFruit Reporter:

I was particularly taken with a stone monolith Torsion, I liked the stepped sections that curved around the whole. I imagined giant hands taking hold of the piece and twisting it to form the irregular trunk-like shape. I also enjoyed the observation made by eventual buyers of Torsion II. The new owners likened the sculpture’s form to that of the slow unfurling of vine tendrils.

Charles Hadcock was born in Derby in 1965. He studied fine art at the Royal College of Art (1987-1989) specialising in sculpture. His first solo exhibition was in London in 1991.

Many of his public works are cast in iron and can be seen in numerous sites in London and around the country. In 2008 Hadcock was made Fellow of the Royal British Society of Sculptors.

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