Art on the Underground is pleased to present the 16th cover of the Tube map by Tracey Emin.

Well known for her deeply revealing works, Emin has been commissioned by Art on the Underground to make a pocket Tube map cover for the London Olympic and Paralympic year.

The artwork, entitled The Central line, features a chirping bird sitting on a ‘branch’ of the Northern line. The clear link to the Tube map, without the use of the colours, and to nature, combine two elements that Emin felt would offer her audience something compelling yet comforting to contemplate.

The bird as a motif has been important in Emin’s work for many years. Her focus on the Central line is also personal to her because it’s the line she uses most frequently; it takes her from her home in East London to the centre of the City. She has also added the names of a handful of stations and places that represent something of importance for her, for example, Oxford Circus, Victoria, and Shoreditch. The personal references within her artworks have been at the very core of Emin’s artistic output throughout her career and the use of the hand-drawn image defines one of the most important strands in her work.

Tracey Emin for Art on the Underground