Underneath and Beyond
Underneath and Beyond is a text and graphic work that charts an
experiential journey through the Greenwich Foot Tunnel, weaving
together the tangible and intangible aspects of traversing a historic
space beneath the Thames River. The piece translates the artist’s walk
into a layered exploration of sound, memory, and psychological terrain.
One side of the work captures the auditory experience, recording
the onomatopoeia of the tunnel’s soundscape: the hollow echoes of footsteps, the hum of distant vibrations, the dampened rustle of unseen movements. These sounds are translated into graphic forms, their shapes echoing the tunnel’s constricted architecture and the uneasy resonance of being submerged beneath a powerful river.
The opposite side reflects on the psychogeography of the journey. The tunnel’s walls, scarred by World War II bombings, evoke a visceral sense of history’s weight. These marks prompt a meditation on present fears—fears shaped not only by personal vulnerabilities but also by a broader erosion of trust in systems meant to protect and serve. Themes of loneliness and safety surface, entwined with a growing sense that these anxieties are deliberately sustained, almost engineered to keep one vigilant and unsettled. The tunnel becomes a metaphorical space of confinement, where the crushing awareness of systemic inequities mirrors the physical enclosure.
Emerging from the tunnel into the open air is a stark and startling shift. The audio recorded on the far side introduces a vivid soundscape of wind, birdsong, and children’s laughter—an almost utopian counterpoint to the oppressive interiority of the tunnel. This transition suggests a crossing not just of physical boundaries but of emotional thresholds, moving from fear and isolation to a tentative reimagining of connection and possibility.
Through its interplay of text, sound, and graphic abstraction,
Underneath and Beyond becomes an evocative meditation on how
spaces shape our inner landscapes. It reflects on the weight of history, the persistence of fear, and the human yearning for trust, safety, and renewal, offering a powerful exploration of the boundaries—seen and unseen—that define our lives.
One side of the work captures the auditory experience, recording
the onomatopoeia of the tunnel’s soundscape: the hollow echoes of footsteps, the hum of distant vibrations, the dampened rustle of unseen movements. These sounds are translated into graphic forms, their shapes echoing the tunnel’s constricted architecture and the uneasy resonance of being submerged beneath a powerful river.
The opposite side reflects on the psychogeography of the journey. The tunnel’s walls, scarred by World War II bombings, evoke a visceral sense of history’s weight. These marks prompt a meditation on present fears—fears shaped not only by personal vulnerabilities but also by a broader erosion of trust in systems meant to protect and serve. Themes of loneliness and safety surface, entwined with a growing sense that these anxieties are deliberately sustained, almost engineered to keep one vigilant and unsettled. The tunnel becomes a metaphorical space of confinement, where the crushing awareness of systemic inequities mirrors the physical enclosure.
Emerging from the tunnel into the open air is a stark and startling shift. The audio recorded on the far side introduces a vivid soundscape of wind, birdsong, and children’s laughter—an almost utopian counterpoint to the oppressive interiority of the tunnel. This transition suggests a crossing not just of physical boundaries but of emotional thresholds, moving from fear and isolation to a tentative reimagining of connection and possibility.
Through its interplay of text, sound, and graphic abstraction,
Underneath and Beyond becomes an evocative meditation on how
spaces shape our inner landscapes. It reflects on the weight of history, the persistence of fear, and the human yearning for trust, safety, and renewal, offering a powerful exploration of the boundaries—seen and unseen—that define our lives.