I was puzzled by the little Labyrinth on the wall at ground level near the entrance to Northwick Park station in North London. I asked the man serving at the kiosk, "Do you know what this little design means?" He simply shrugged and raised his hands in the air. "It's an artwork."
Now I can explain it, to local people, or foreign visitors. I feel really pleased with myself. I am a guide, a teacher. I can write about it in my blog. I can put it on Pinterest. I can add it on Google maps.
I only recently, yesterday, discovered that the same artist has designed different labyrinths for stations. All over London.
The artist is Mark Wallinger. Mark my words, his name is easy to remember. Mark the wall. Wall injured. Or, if you prefer a positive memory aid, wall enjoy. Or wall ingenius. Mark Willinger.
Why bother to remember his name? Because you will see his little mazes on the walls of railway stations all over London, the station you depart from and the station you arrive at.
For years I had walked past the little maze on the wall at Northwick Park station and wondered, what is that doing here? What has a maze got to do with this area? The answer is, nothing. The mazes are all over London. Each station has its own maze and each one is unique and charming.
Mark's Labyrinth at Heathrow. Picture from Wikimedia.
Where might you visit? Hyde Park Corner.
What does it all mean? Is the underground a maze to you? Once you have found the entrance and the destination, all becomes clear. It is really neat, and compact.
One maze on its own, like one station on its own, might not be particularly useful, not connected with anything else. But once you have the whole picture of linked mazes and stations, you have a satisfying system.
Yes, those little mazes remind you that the underground network is a maze at first sight. However, it is logical. Once you have found the entrance and the destination, you feel in control and satisfied. Problem solved.
First I looked at them all in grid fashion on the Wikimedia page. I tried to pick out famous stations, central stations I might visit. Heathrow, Victoria, Hyde Park Corner.
Then I looked at the patterns and tried to pick out contrasting styles. Simple maze. Contrast with complicated maze. Central symbolic shape like a hard diamond. Central symbolic shape like a curved flower. Rigid shape of the whole. Swirly shape of the whole, curved like a map of your brain.
Finally, I found that the best way to compare them is to go to wikimedia, click on one of the pictures, select more details, then click on the left or right arrows to go through each one individually, reading the captions.
I found that the whole set were designed to celebrate 150 years of the London underground. The designs are grouped under names such as (alphabetically):
American Indian.
Chamfered (Chalfont & Latimer, West Acton).
East (Highgate, Manor House, St John's Wood, Totteridge and Whetstone).
Emboss (Angel, Arnos Grove, Euston Square).
Medieval (Archway, Barbican, Bounds Green, High Barnet).
Native American (Farringdon, Southgate).
Opposed (Moorgate, Swiss Cottage, West Finchley).
Organic (Ealing Common, Great Portland Street, Wood Green).
The Square family (Ealing Broadway, Finchley Central, Finchley Road, Old Street, Turnpike East, Woodside Park).
Turf (Cockfosters, East Finchley, Kentish Town, Tufnell Park).
The West. Woodcut (Mill Hill East, Oakwood station).
My favourite designs one by one, including popular places you and I might visit on our next trip to central London:
High Street Kensington. Dead white circle centre.
Green Park
Bayswater
Now my favourites from stations which you and I are unlikely to visit unless we live or work there:
Hatton Cross. I like the six petal flower centre.
Most are displayed against red brick (a London feature, from London's red clay) or white tiles. I like the green background of the artwork on Wimbledon Park station.
Useful Websites
https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2020/10/delightful-decorations-on-london.html
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Labyrinth_(Art_on_the_Underground)
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10622805/Secrets-Victoria-Line-station-tiled-mura
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_on_the_Underground
https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_London_Underground_stations
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