Good times ahead

This morning, Transport for London unveiled a new artwork by Irish artist Eva Rothschild, which will adorn the Pocket Tube Map from March.

The work, called ‘Good Times’, is an extension of Rothschild’s sculpture of the same name – a 1.28m by 1.28m rainbow-coloured bangle made in 2009.

The original piece lends itself well to its new home on the front of the Tube map. Not only do the ring’s colours nearly match the underground line’s colours, but when made into a flat image with a black background, the circle looks like a colourfully-lit Tube tunnel.

Rothschild clearly saw the relevance of the her original work when she was set the brief. She says, ‘The image takes the form of a ring made up of the Tube line colours, creating an expanded spectrum,’ says Rothschild.

‘The spectrum and colours also hold specific meaning of their own, echoing a life belt, for me this reference seemed appropriate because so many of us, including myself, depend on the Tube, its iconic map and London’s huge transport system in order to go about our day-to-day lives.’

Whether you agree with Rothschild and see the Tube as a ‘life-saver’ or a subterranean, stressful hole, you will be able to pick up one of her maps from the beginning of March.