The Circle Line

#perpetualmotion – endless cycles

South Kensington Station
South Kensington Station

London’s underground train network, better known as The Tube, is an amalgamation of several different railway companies incorporated into a unified body under public ownership in the 1930s. The identities of the constituent companies are still very evident today in the style of stations, the names of the lines and the construction of the tunnels. One of those lines, the Circle Line, was unique in that until it was broken in 2009 it ran as its name suggests in a circle.

circle-line-old-mapAn early map of the Circle Line with the initials of various railway companies

I became fascinated by the idea of a journey without a beginning or an end when I frequently used the line during my student days, often commencing my journeys at South Kensington after leaving the Snake Pit (a public house in the station) and riding round in a full circle before heading off home.

Currently I am transferring the photographs I took at the time and used in a slide projector audio-visual piece to a web friendly video format

By PT

Peter Town is a born storyteller, gifted with an ability to translate both everyday quirks and deeper philosophical musing through his work. Often using strong lines, striking colours and symbolism in his pictures, Town has built a vibrant portfolio. Born in Bethnal Green, he grew up in Liverpool and was later educated at Bath Academy of Art and the Royal College of Art. Taking advantage of his ability to communicate ideas visually, he went on to enjoy a successful career as a designer while he continued to paint and develop his artistic style through drawing, painting, photography, and printmaking. While many of Town’s paintings use strong shapes and primary colours, such as the Stairscapes series, others are quieter and more contemplative, representing a more tranquil inner space. His Abstracts series features works where the narrative is more ambiguous but ever-present. He sees landscapes, interior spaces and natural forms as abstract shapes and colours, transcribing these in his unique style onto paper and canvas.