William Blake

William Blake lived for ten of his most productive years in North Lambeth at 13 Hercules Buildings. The old house has been knocked down, but there is a plaque where it once stood on Hercules Road. William Blake lived in Hercules Road, SE1 from 1790 - 1800 and this mosaic project pays homage to his genius and some of his greatest work. Southbank Mosaics artists have teamed up with volunteers to interpret Blake's work and turn a dark dingy tunnel into a brilliant exhibition.

Jonathan Jones the Guardian’s art critic writes

“William Blake is far and away the greatest artist Britain has ever produced…… British art has been minor compared to Shakespeare and Dickens. The world needs these writers but not our artists. Blake is the exception because he unifies the verbal and the visual and, uniquely, ensures that some of the central poetry in the language exists in pictures as well as words.”
25/4/05 The Guardian

Southbank Mosaics would like to see North Lambeth designated as “Blake Country” and to that end we are transforming some of the work William Blake produced in Lambeth into large mosaics.

So far over 15 volunteers have taken part in helping to make the mosaics. Each mosaic takes up to three months to make and all those who take part will have their names engraved and displayed at the exhibition.

A permanent exhibition of William Blake's work, transformed into mosaic, has been installed at Carlisle Lane South. The latest installation of his work is located nearby Carlisle Lane on Centaur Street. These exhibitions have made the locality a landmark for local residents, those who love the visonary artist and poet, as well as passers-by. Link to BBC London article