100 Years of the Roundel

alicia_framis.jpg
Roundel artwork by Alicia Framis. All images courtesy the artists and Transport for London

To celebrate 100 years of London Underground’s iconic roundel emblem, Art on the Underground has commissioned 100 contemporary artists to create artworks based on the symbol.

The artworks are currently on show at the Rochelle School in Shoreditch, London, until October 30 and a number of them will also appear as posters on the Underground network. Here is a selection of our favourites.

catherine_yass_2.jpg
By Catherine Yass

imran_qureshi_1.jpg

paul_mcdevitt.jpg
By Paul McDevitt

susan_hiller_1.jpg
By Susan Hiller

yinka-shonibare_-_hi_res.jpg
By Yinka Shonibare

rose_fin_kelcey.jpg
By Rose Fin Kelcey

bob-and-roberta-smith.jpg
By Bob and Roberta Smith

jim_isermann.jpg
By Jim Isermann

paul_noble_hi_res.jpg
By Paul Noble

henrik_hakkanson.jpg
By Henrik Hakkanson

clare_woods.jpg
By Clare Woods

des_hughes.jpg
By Des Hughes

peter_blake.jpg
By Peter Blake

phil_allen.jpg
By Phil Allen

simon_bedwell.jpg
By Simon Bedwell

james_ireland.jpg
By James Ireland

Comments...

Contemporary artists or students?

Some of those are awful.

Chris
10/Oct/08, 2:16 pm

The very last one by James Ireland is the clear winner for me.

Mike
10/Oct/08, 2:31 pm

Call me ‘old school’ but Peter Blake never fails to please…

Derek Stewart
10/Oct/08, 3:42 pm

Some of these are quite weak…
I quite like the Phil Allen piece, though.

Luke
10/Oct/08, 3:48 pm

Sorry guys, but if they’re the favourites, I dread to think what the remaining posters are like.

…That or this wind up’s not as easily recognisable as the last.

Stu Mason
10/Oct/08, 4:51 pm

James Ireland & Peter Blake by far the better ones…

The other’s have bit further to go.

(Catherine Yass, the second from the top, did she go out no to the track to take that photo?)

Martin Delin
10/Oct/08, 5:18 pm

For me, James Ireland greatly succeeds the others, with Rose Fin Kelsey as a close second.

I’m sorry to say that I find the Peter Blake piece somewhat disapointing.

Liam Sharp
11/Oct/08, 9:42 pm

These are supposed to celebrate 100 years of one of the most distinctive icons in Britain and some of them look like they’ve been given as much consideration as I give to waking up in the morning. Peter Blakes’ is the only stand-out one, the others are weak.

wayne dickens
12/Oct/08, 2:19 pm

God, the majority of those are bad.

James Stone
13/Oct/08, 1:58 pm

I have to agree, the majority of these are poor. Especially the one created using combos of Mircosoft Clipart and Wordart. Ireland’s is the clear winner for me.

thom wood
13/Oct/08, 4:44 pm

is this another joke? who the hell commissioned this, simon bedwell! are u having a laugh?

mitchell clements
13/Oct/08, 6:50 pm

Like the one by James Ireland.

Jet
15/Oct/08, 2:52 am

If this is the best that London has to offer then I’ll be damned! No respect for the original emblem what so ever. All in all, a huge disappointment.

Kevin C
15/Oct/08, 3:48 pm

A few good entries such as Ireland, Blake and Allen, but some extremely disappointing attempts as well. A shame that such a juicy brief and iconic context couldn’t produce more gems.

Vapour Trail
16/Oct/08, 1:49 pm

i agree, some of those are hideous. some are quite nice to look at, i like Rose Fin Kelcey’s, it looks like a tunnel, but i dont get the bread??

i love the last one. i scrolled now and just went… whoah. clear winner.

Kay Goody
16/Oct/08, 5:55 pm

Amazing how little can be achieved from an open ended brief and one of the most recognised symbols in modern society. A couple of the entries I rather liked, a few look like they gave it a bit of a go but most look like they tossed it off thinking that they were entering this years Turner prize.

The AotU literature states that if you are inclined pop down to the Rochelle School in Shoreditch, London and feel free to daub any of the pieces you take an instant disliking to with blood, excrement or spittle as all of the artists have their original .PSD files.

Facepalm
16/Oct/08, 6:39 pm

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