Artwork description:

One of a series of original wood engravings exploring the dynamic atmosphere and distinctive architecture of the London Underground. This work is featured in the 2018 exhibition of the Society of Women Artists at the Mall Galleries, London. It is also being shown in the exhibitions of both the Society of Graphic Fine Art and the Society of Wood Engravers.

This piece depicts one of the Bakerloo line platforms at Waterloo station - showing the distinctive piano-key tiling and dramatic sweep of the curved tunnel. This is the busiest Tube station in London, but in this fleeting moment the platform is almost deserted.

The artist says: "As a former Tube commuter myself, I know that - packed full of busy travellers every day - the Underground can very easily be taken for granted. By choosing unusual angles and perspectives of near-deserted stations, my aim in this series of artworks is to help the viewer to rediscover and better appreciate these incredible subterranean man-made structures."

Note: actual image size is 14x18.5cm; hand-printed on a larger sheet of paper to allow for mounting and framing. Framed prints from this edition are also available from the artist's Artfinder shop.

Wood engraving is a form of fine art printmaking. The artist uses specialised tools to create the image in relief (and reverse) on the end grain of a block of hardwood - usually boxwood - by removing the 'white' parts of the image. This technique is painstaking and highly technical, and allows for the creation of exquisitely detailed works. Rebecca's wood engravings have been exhibited in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, with the Society of Wood Engravers, and in galleries across the world from Japan to the USA.

Materials used:

Wood engraving, ink on paper

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Featured by our Editors:

• Retro and Pop Culture
• The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2023