London Stories Exhibition

The Serco Prize for Illustration 2014 – London Stories

Opening Friday 14 February 2014

 

• New exhibition of illustrations 14 February to 6 April 2014
• Friday Late on 14 February 2014

Across the ages, London has produced and inspired countless stories. Fictitious and real characters and events in this amazing city have always held fascination, from anecdotal urban myths to grand tales of historic legend.

London Stories, a new exhibition featuring the best of the entries for The Serco Prize for Illustration 2014, opens on 14 February 2014 and will feature over 50 works of art.

Entrants were asked to create an illustration which visually captures a well-known or obscure London narrative; stories that are contemporary or historical, real or imagined.

The shortlisted illustrations celebrate a vibrant, multi-layered London – urban myths, historic events, remarkable characters and London’s animal population. From ghost buses, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show of 1887 and Lenin’s ‘love letter to London’ to a Pearly King and Queen, and an escaped Monkey jazz band. Other entries depict the ravens and the white bear of the Tower of London, Tin Pan Alley as well as literary and musical references such as The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Girl from Petrovka, Mary Poppins, Sweeney Todd and Oranges and Lemons. For the first time the exhibition will also feature five short animated films. From the rise and fall of high rise tower blocks, LND Flying machine to the animated video about “Our Town”.

There’s also a chance to explore the exhibition after hours and enjoy the opening evening of London Stories during our Friday Late on 14 February 2014. There will be a cash bar, DJ and storytelling for adults on board some of our heritage vehicles; a chance to illustrate your own London Story with short illustration workshops, and to strike a pose in our photo-booth with a choice of props. There will also be tours of our new Poster Parade – I Love London.

Organised by London Transport Museum in partnership with the Association of Illustrators (AOI) and sponsored by Serco, all of the illustrations are accompanied by a short text written by the artists summarising the inspiration behind their creation.

The Serco Prize for Illustration 2014 continues Transport for London’s legacy of design that dates back over 100 years. The Museum’s collection of graphic art is one of the best in the world and includes over 5,000 posters and artworks by famous artists including Man Ray, Paul Nash and Edward McKnight Kauffer. The exhibition closes on Sunday 6 April 2014.

The London Stories exhibition is displayed in the CBS Outdoor Gallery at London Transport Museum, Covent Garden Piazza, London, WC2E 7BB and admission is included in the entry ticket to the main Museum galleries (adults £15.00 or £11.50 concessions). Tickets allow unlimited admission for 12 months. Children and young people aged 17 and under go free. For further information visit www.ltmuseum.co.uk or call 020 7565 7298.

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