Reasons to be cheerful

Some of the Paolozzi murals at Tottenham Court Road station - those in the arches over the escalators - have gone to Edinburgh and are being restored and will be put on public display. This is after a mini-furore about their destruction and a petition signed by 8000 people - and the intervention of the Twentieth Century Society. 

Thus it was heartening to see that murals had been left on the Central Line platform, at least. Here are a couple of photos of details -

More images of murals throughout the station are here. They were completed in 1984.

Unexpected art

Something to see in a stairwell!  It's in Block F, Hammersmith Hospital, should you be nearby. Right next door to Wormwood Scrubs prison (but that's neither here nor there).

Horizon by Kenneth Draper, 1971
"Although abstract, the work alludes to nature, which is suggested by the title.
The artist's distinctive use of materials creates a gravity defying lightness."

Carnival, 1971, by Viacheslav Atroshenko (1935-1995)
"The artist abstracts the essence of nature in order to create a powerful
abstract form that interprets its subject, rather than imitates it."

Untitled, 1971
"Atroshenko's paintings consist of bold compositions of colours that
are filled with energy and sharpness."

The Horizon piece works brilliantly there, with what's on the horizon changing as you descend (or ascend). Whereas the lifts offer only mirrors and stainless steel.

Other hospitals have art collections too - for instance The Royal London. A list of hospital-based art programmes is on the London Arts in Health Forum website. 

Elephantitis (north London)

This was a very overgrown hedge, so the story goes, and the yard, being hidden, was being used for various nefarious, anti-social, disturbing activities. Rather than cut down the hedge entirely (and reveal the dilapidation of the building?) the council brought in a topiary artist, who created these wonderful creatures.

Gone home to roost?

In preparation for the next Fourth Plinth commission, Katharina Fritsch's Hahn/Cock has been removed; it was unveiled in July 2013. The new commission, Gift Horse by artist Hans Haacke, will be unveiled on 5 March. Get a sneak peek here - brace yourself for a very different kind of equestrian statue.

Art on the River

A new scheme rather like Art on the Underground is launched with watercolours by Clare Woods, views from the river itself -

The posters are at Thames Clipper piers, and on the Woolwich ferry vessels, during September. Let's hope the scheme carries on...

A sample of Clare Woods' earlier work -

Cemetery Bends, 2009; oil and enamel on aluminium (via)

There's an interview with her here. And just to give you an idea of the scale of her work ....

Glorious chewing gum

Usually chewing gum is far from glorious, distorting the face as it is masticated, providing unwelcome sound-effects, appearing in pink bubbles in front of already-bloated, glassy-eyed visages, then pock-marking and defacing pavements as it is carelessly, thoughtlessly discarded.

Ben Wilson has done his bit to change that - and yesterday we passed him on Millennium Bridge, hard at work. Here are a few of the results.

Cross the bridge, and you'll almost certainly be stepping on artworks. See more of Ben's work here.

Monday miscellany

February, a woodcut by Wharton Esherick (1887-1970, Pennsylvania)

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Do penguins need sweaters/jumpers? The short answer is No, but there seems to be a persistent rumour on social media that sweaters are used to "save" oiled birds. People love to donate tangible, helpful things ... and knitters are people too ... but would do better to donate to local charities, says this article.

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Luckenwalde library (Berlin) was once an old railway station on an abandoned line - see other stunning libraries at theguardian.com/books/gallery/

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Another thought about getting rid of things: " the perniciousness of sentimental items—and sentimentality in general—is far more subtle. If you want to get rid of an item but the only reason you are holding on to it is for sentimental reasons—if it is weighing on you—then perhaps it’s time to get rid of it, perhaps it is time to free yourself of the weight. That doesn’t mean that you need to get rid of everything though." (via)

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Remember the tights ball? It's set to go on show at Swiss Cottage Library, as part of its tour around the UK - check for details here. Photo from The Londonist - which also has a post about London's best street art. It doesn't mention the endangered birds painted by ATM -

Jay, painted by ATM (via)

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Shoe shopping - spring has arrived!

La Tour Paris 13

A 10-story derelict apartment block in Paris has been transformed by more than 100 international street artists and is open to the public till 30 October, when it will be demolished. More photos, and a short video of the transformation, here.