Rooftop Artwork For Top-Deck Travellers
London’s bus stops are having a makeover. This September the capital’s plastic bus stands showcase the vibrant photography of David LaChapelle, but with a twist.
Each of LaChapelle’s stunning photographs will be mounted, not on the walls of the bus stops, but on the roofs. This provides a series of beautiful and unique photographs for people on the top decks of buses looking out the windows.
The photographs form part of LaChapelle’s ‘LAND SCAPE’ series, which is his first public exhibition in London. The artworks are free and accessible to all (provided you sit on the top deck), adorning bus stops from Somerset House on the Strand to Trafalgar Square to Aldwych.
The photographs themselves show futuristic landscapes which are in fact made from everyday objects. Neon cityscapes are made up of drinking straws, hair rollers and tin cans, but form a stunning landscape photograph when viewed from a distance. Transport for London’s Leon Daniels said that “Public exhibitions are a great way of making art available to everyone.”
The exhibition is part of Transport for London’s celebration of the ‘Year of the Bus’, trying to increase use of public buses around the city. The celebrations come in 2014 as it is 100 years since the first mass-produced motor bus hit the streets, 75 years since the introduction of the RT-type bus, 60 years since London’s iconic Routemaster was launched.