Labyrinth

London's underground railways are an expression of the spread and diversity of the most international of capitals. Indeed, for many Londoners the subterranean network is the very essence of the city, its arteries carrying the pulse of urban life from the heart of the metropolis out to its farthest extremities. How to capture that breadth in one work of art? How to celebrate a single system while also reflecting the millions of lives that it has transported over the past century and a half? That was the challenge facing Turner Prizewinning artist Mark Wallinger. His response was to create a vast, permanent work of public art across the entire network, layered with rich cultural and historical references. In each of the Underground's 270 stations, he placed a uniquely designed labyrinth, an ancient symbol representing spiritual and imaginative voyages and analogous with the countless circuitous journeys made on the Tube every day. Labyrinth: A Journey Through London's Underground by Mark Wallinger is a compelling record of this extraordinary project. But more than that, it is also a vivid celebration of the London Underground itself. Striking photographs of all the labyrinths in situ reveal the diverse face and fabric of the network, while fascinating facts about each station and the views of its users - workers, passengers, local residents?? - bring surprising perspectives to the familiar backdrop of the daily commute. Transport historian Christian Wolmar considers the significance of Labyrinth in the long history of the Underground, while art and architectural theorist Jane Rendell searches out the philosophical and cultural resonances of Wallinger's intervention. Novelist Will Self goes under the surface to encounter the murkier side of life on the Tube, and author Marina Warner talks to the artist about his lifelong connection with the Underground and interest in the mythic form of the labyrinth. Much more than a document of the creation of a work of art, this book is also a unique portrait of a system that kee