Over London By Rail

The print presents a bird’s-eye view of London’s rooftops, railway networks, and architectural textures, emphasizing the city’s layered infrastructure. Rather than focusing on landmarks, it highlights the mundane geometry of urban life—the interwoven paths of trains, the rhythm of chimneys and windows. This perspective invites contemplation of movement, scale, and the quiet order beneath the bustle of a metropolis.

Pig employed a detailed linocut technique, using precise carving to render intricate patterns of roofs, tracks, and alleys. The composition is tightly structured, with strong lines and subtle tonal contrasts that define depth without color. The style leans toward topographical clarity, blending documentary precision with a restrained aesthetic. The absence of figures amplifies the sense of an impersonal, mechanized cityscape.

The print was produced in 2013 by Wharepuke Print Studio as one of twelve works in the Parallel Prints portfolio. The project was conceived to mark a cultural exchange between New Zealand and the UK, with all prints published in Kerikeri and exhibited concurrently in both nations. The portfolio’s collaborative nature reflects a broader trend in contemporary printmaking toward international artist networks and shared production practices.

Parallel Prints 2013 emerged during a period of renewed interest in collaborative print projects across the Commonwealth. The initiative connected artists from regions with shared colonial histories but distinct contemporary identities. By situating British and New Zealand creators side by side, the portfolio invited comparisons of urban experience, landscape, and print tradition without asserting hierarchy or dominance.

The portfolio remains a documented example of transpacific print collaboration in the early 21st century. While not widely reproduced in major collections, it contributes to the growing archive of artist-led print exchanges that prioritize process and partnership over singular authorship. Its existence underscores the role of small studios in sustaining global artistic dialogue beyond commercial or institutional channels.