I CHOSE PICCADILLY CIRCUS as a central image in the London underground poster as it such a famous landmark at the hub of London's West End. My first recollections of London go back to the days of black and white television, when as a small boy I saw a programme called 'In Town Tonight' The opening shots showed traffic flowing round Piccadilly Circus, then the traffic froze. A simple cinematic trick, but it had one small boy in a state of wonderment.
The statue of Eros was originally intended to represent an angel of Christian charity. Sculptured by Sir Alfred Gilbert, it was a monument erected to the memory of the philanthropist, the seventh Earl of Shaftesbury .
The other major image in the poster, the 'Last Night of the Proms', at the Albert Hall, is another famous landmark. For two seasons I was allowed access to all Proms rehearsals in order to sketch musicians. What a privilege it was to watch some of our finest conductors and soloists in rehearsal as they put the finishing touches to their musical interpretation.
The Last Night of the Proms is now, of course, a nostalgic spectacle which is beamed round the globe by satellite. As a subject for painting it is a lethal cocktail, throwing together all the components which excite me to paint: people, flags, musicians and a certain joie de vivre, all in the red and gold setting of the Albert Hall.
Something which has already aroused curiosity is that Piccadilly Circus is viewed from a spot a hundred feet in the air, in the direction of Leicester Square, above flowing traffic. How did I do it? Well, it is not only Eros who can fly.
Jake Sutton
1 June 1999