At first glance, this print looks uncannily like the iconic London Underground Transport Map created in 1931 by a certain technical draughtsman named Henry Charles Beck. Closer inspection, however, reveals that the names of landmark tube stations on each ‘line’ have been swapped for Sussex towns and villages.
There are one or two other nice touches, too. For instance, the monotone grey and white area in the background typically used to indicate the different zones on the underground has been cleverly changed by James to reveal the silhouette of a Land Rover Defender 110 – a very popular vehicle amongst Sussex farmers and the local gentry. Oh, and if you look carefully, you’ll also spot the outline of an Oast House cowl, of which there are many in Sussex and the neighbouring county of Kent.
Land Rover enthusiasts will also appreciate the visual grid reference joke. On the underground map, these are numbered sequentially. But James has changed them here to ‘4×4’ rather than the traditional figure 4.
THE PRINT
This signed print is one of a limited edition. It’s recorded on Hahnemühle stock via a large format mimeograph and generally referred to as Giclée prints of premium quality. The paper is white 100% a-cellulose with a distinct textured surface and the premium matt inkjet coating more than meets the highest industry standards vis-à-vis density, colour gamut, colour graduation and image sharpness, while preserving the extraordinary touch and feel of genuine art paper. The editions depicted on Iconic Reserve are not representative of scale and solely for the purpose of suggestive display.
Signed limited edition
1 of 100, 420mm x 597mm
Recorded on Hahnemühle
Sussex collection