Romanian female artist to illustrate the cover of the London tube’s map

A work made by Romanian artist Geta Brătescu that has been commissioned by Art on the Underground platform in London, is on the cover of the London metro’s map as of this week, according to art.tfl.gov.uk.

The Brits have asked the nonagenarian female artist from Romania to make an artwork to be displayed on the cover of the tube map and on billboards in the London tube stations. Geta Brătescu and young French artist Marie Jacotey are invited to join the 28th edition of the pocket Tube map in London.

Brătescu has created a collage which is part of her ongoing cycle Game of Forms (2009 – present). „This work comprises vivid pink cut-outs with graphic, hand-drawn, black markings. Brătescu describes this collaging technique as ‘drawings with scissors’. The use of scissors give the vibrant pink triangles sharp contours while the imperfection of the heavy black lines, which are almost reminiscent of Japanese calligraphy, anchor the artwork in its materiality,” the organizers say.

They also pointed out that the Romanian artist has created „a great sense of dynamism and movement” and that she „was inspired by the crowds of people moving through London, for her, their movement is like a drawing in physical space; her geometric forms possess both playfulness and order.”

Born in Romania in 1926, Brătescu spent much of her life under Communist regime and Ceaușescu’s totalitarian regime. Within these repressive contexts Brătescu embraced the freedom of her studio, using whatever was available to her, often her own body, giving new life to unassuming and humble materials, adapting and recycling these to create infinite possibilities. Brătescu works across a number of mediums including collage, performance, photography, textiles, print-making and film, however drawing is at the core of all these outputs.