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Life Is A Laugh

Eliza 19/07/07, 17:33

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Brian Griffiths’ installation Life Is A Laugh, at Gloucester Road tube station

Gloucester Road Underground station in London has been colonised once again - this time by artist Brian Griffiths who has filled the disused platform with Life Is A Laugh, an epic installation which is part assault course, part giant panda head.

The artwork is the latest exhibition in the Gloucester Road Platform for Art programme, which presents four shows a year in the Underground space. Griffiths is known for his magical, absurdist work that in the past has included a super computer made from cardboard and other household materials and a galleon constructed in wooden furniture.

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Installed over a two month period, working entirely at night when the station is closed, the Gloucester Road installation is perhaps a little harder to figure out. It is described by the Platform For Art website as being “a giant shelf-like home to abandoned detritus” and the work certainly contains an eclectic selection of items from the aforementioned panda head, and the side of a caravan, to the dangerously tempting assault course constructed with ladders and barrels. Undoubtedly it will provide much needed food for thought while waiting for the next train.

More info on Life Is A Laugh is on the Platform For Art website.

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And here’s the rather fine poster for Griffiths’ show:

Poster

Posted in Art

Comments(3 comments)

I saw this the last week when I was up for the New Designers. I couldn’t quite figure out if the caravan was part of the installation or where the workers made their million cups of tea. I like it though.

Posted by j on 21/07/07, 2:52 pm

I realise there are space issues, but why can’t there be more tube stations like Gloucester Road? The Chiho Aoshima exhibition was great, this one looks pretty cool too, but why limit this just to 1 platform at Gloucester Road?

I’m not suggesting that every platform, at tube station have artwork on it, but it would be nice to have a few more stations doing something interesting. It might lighten some people’s moods, on an otherwise boring journey.

The current Antony Gormley exhibition on at the Hayward, provides an interesting spin on an otherwise everyday setting. It would be pretty cool if London transport did more of these sorts of projects.

Or not.

Posted by Rus on 24/07/07, 2:48 pm

An interesting way to look at an everyday occurrence like travelling. Why shouldn’t it be more fun?

Posted by pytel » Blog Archive » A Platform For Art… on 24/07/07, 11:17 pm

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