Art on the Underground

From the late 1900s, London Underground's Managing Director Frank Pick began commissioning leading artists and designers to work on poster campaigns for the rapidly expanding network. Pick also steered the development of the London Underground's corporate identity, establishing a highly recognisable brand such as the Underground roundel, Johnston typeface and the tube map designed by Harry Beck. Following Pick, London Underground continued to commission artists to design advertising posters, or pieces of artwork for stations. However, this work was ad hoc, and usually project-based. For example, as part of the building of the Victoria line in the 1960s, tiled artwork was installed in the…

]] Art on the Underground commissions a wide range of temporary and permanent artworks, working with a wide range of British and international artists as well as the local community, passengers and TfL staff. The programme is funded by Transport for London, although other funding sources such as Arts Council England and corporate sponsorship is used for some commissions.