The Elliptical Switchback (2010) is a work of art made by Tod Hanson (1963) and commissioned by The London Overground through the agency Modus Operandi. In the words of the artist “this was a particular case” (2016). Due to the tight schedule, he was first contacted about the project after he had already been chosen – by a selection panel [interdisciplinary team that include people directly affected by the project such as cleaners or members of staff, as well as people who is more related to the art world and project management], from a shortlist of possible artists. So it came as a nice surprise.
Hanson’s work is typically inspired by the space where the piece is going to be installed. In this case he researched the context of Haggerston station located in Shoreditch, East London. This area is known for being a great center of creative industries.
Hanson found a particular character, who used to live around there: Edmond Halley (1956 -1742), a Royal Astronomer, well-known for discovering the sequence of orbit of a certain comet, named after him: Halley’s Comet, which is going to pass by again in 2061. Halley travelled around Africa and America studying, to finally come up with the theory of magnetism.
These traces of information, became the subject-matter for Hanson, who was really attracted to the idea of making a piece that depicted movement, paths and routes, related to Halley’s theories, as well as to the commuting that takes place in the station everyday. In the middle of the artwork we can find a diamond floating that makes the illusion of something alive.
At first the artist was invited to work in mosaic due to the materiality of the space. However, after some optical studies he decided that it was better to work with tile, to generate an optical illusion of an atmosphere within another, he also wanted to generate a visual game with the light that came across the window on one side of the station. If one looked closely at the tiles, some dots can be seen as part of the shadows, creating an effect of action, of time passing by.
The artwork has given an identity to Haggerston station; the colours are extremely accurate for the walls of the station. As the artist said: “It makes an echo with the space”. The TFL [Transport for London] workers said that they feel motivated by the new space. Tod Hanson is mainly known for his approaches to public space. He has experience working with Modus Operandi in a variety of installations such as: Balham Station Bridge 2015, Balham High Street 2015. In addition to this, he has been in different residencies and inside exhibitions such as: Jerwood, Allenhead Contemporary Arts, Globe City Gallery New Castle, Hasting Museum & art gallery, River Trust London and more.
For more information go to:
http://todhanson.com
http://www.modusoperandi-art.com
This text is part of the assessment for the module: Curating Contemporary Art at the University of Westminster. Read this post and other stories on Veronica’s personal blog
Latest posts by veronica (see all)
- Fading Layers in London. The case of the Latin American community. - September 2, 2016
- What London offers for Brazil lovers - September 1, 2016
- Family Journey. Colombia into British Culture. - April 15, 2016