‘Mind the Map’ (a phrase obviously reminiscent of Tube platform warnings about the dangerous ‘Gap’) is a new exhibition in the Barbican Library …
The nearby notice tells us that Mind the Map is artist Hazel East’s playful celebration of the city’s landscapes, buildings and hidden corners – reimagined through vibrant patterns and bold colour. She grew up in East Yorkshire and has called South London home for the past 16 years. Her illustrations are shaped by a lifelong love of maps, architecture and the ways places connect.
This exhibition brings together a new collection of Hazel’s digital illustrations, with a focus on maps and architecture across the City of London and beyond. Inspired by the energy of London’s vibrant local communities, the works combine familiar landmarks with overlooked gems – from train stations and bridges to neighbourhood corners rich with local stories.
Here are a few examples.
Barbican Tower …
Barbican general view …
London Boroughs …
Guildhall …
East of the City …
It’s a great little exhibition – well worth a visit …
I’ve kept the Underground pictures to last since they will lead neatly to the next exhibition I’m recommending.
Tube Map …
Holborn Station …
Aldgate Station …
Onward to the sensory, immersive world of the London Underground at the Guildhall Art Gallery …
The publicity blurb tells us that Jock McFadyen with Jem Finer: Underground (and Surface) brings together Jock McFadyen’s large-scale Tube station paintings, revisiting his Underground series from the late 1990s, with a layered soundscape by Jem Finer of The Pogues, composed from field recordings on the Northern and Central lines.
On entering I just stood still listening to the evocative soundscape …
A closer look at some of the pictures …
Moving away from the Underground to other work by Jock …
Another Stadium …
Homebase …
One I particularly like, Bethnal Green and Mont Blanc!
And a surprise, a set design by McFadyen for the Kenneth MacMillan ballet The Judas Tree performed at The Royal Opera House …
The exhibition runs until 20 September 2026 and admission is ‘Pay what you can’.
Incidentally, if you Peep through the doors next to the ballet exhibit you will, like me, get the nice surprise of finding this beautiful 1912 sculpture of Florence Nightingale by Walter Merrett …
Another bonus is that you can take a closer look at the massive artwork Defeat of the Floating Batteries at Gibraltar, September 1782 (The Siege of Gibraltar) by John Singleton Copley (1738–1815) …
You can read more about it, along with other wonderful artworks, in my blog about the Gallery here.
If you would like to follow me on Instagram here is the link …
