The National Gallery recently launched an extraordinary new summer-long exhibition in and around the West End. Dozens of the Gallery's most famous paintings were scanned by Hewlett-Packard to generate a one-gigabyte high-defintion image file, then printed using an equally high-definition process, framed, and affixed to the wall of various West End roads, streets, and alleys. They're even replicating the notes that appear alongside the work.
According to the Gallery, the intention is to provoke thought about the works by moving them out of the "gallery" context. The second initiative is to raise public awareness of the National Gallery's treasures, as many people, it seems, are completely unaware just how many world-famous paintings are on view for free in the Gallery's permanent collection.
I love this exhibition. It's really bold, and invigorating. Like Banksy's work, it takes you by surprise to turn into a seedy lane and come across a beautiful work of art that looks like it was waylaid by a a thoughtful thief.
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