Life is a Laugh by Brian Griffiths

Above is an image of the latest installation for 'Platform for Art'; London Underground's public art programme designed to showcase and celebrate a rich and vibrant art scene.

"For this new sculptural installation Life Is a Laugh, commissioned by London Underground’s art programme Platform for Art, Brian Griffiths has constructed an epic 70-metre long site-specific artwork. Conscious of the transitional nature of both the site and its occupants the work taps into the character of this fleetingly captive audience, exaggerating a sense of expectation tinged with boredom, mental doodling and day-dreaming."

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/corporate/projectsandschemes/artmusicdesign/pfa/artists/lifeisalaugh.asp

The purpose of this piece seems to be to make the eye run along the vast span of the artwork and to have an almost abandoned feeling. It leaves you thinking 'what do these objects have in common?' or 'why is there a 7.5 m panda face in an underground tunnel?'

I think this is a fantastic installation by Brian Griffiths using unconventional objects for the surroundings and combining them to create something different and exciting. His installation wants to be a strucuture but it defies the basic principles of architecture. There is also alot of humour in his work which shows through and turns what is initially dead-space into a visual experience.

Martin Hill

I saw Martin Hill's work on a postcard and felt the need to research his method and reasoning fo his sculptures. On his website he describes his work as being

'informed by cyclic principles on which nature works,'

In other words, his sculptures use natural elements but are temporary sculptures and the elements return to nature.

Here is one of his first sculptures 'Stone Cirlce'...

The sculpture uses pumice stones threaded onto a bent willow stick. When seen at the right angle the reflection of the arh creates a full cirlce. Once the photograph was taken the sculpture would have been taken apart.

Also, here is Hill's 'Floating Stones'...


Porous pumice stones can float and Hill has taken advantage of this. Small sticks were placed in the sand beneath the surface of the water to keep the stones in place. I feel this is more successful than the previous sculpture becuase this formation is very delicate and can be naturally destroyed and taken back by nature (which is Hill's ethos) whereas the 'Stone Circle' would have required some physical construction.