Last year, Ahmet Öğüt stood outside Stratford Station surrounded by the mechanical rumble of trains carrying passengers through the arteries of the capital.
The Turkish-born conceptual artist had been commissioned to create a work as part of Transport for London’s (TfL’s) Art on the Underground programme.
Today his oil painting, depicting a life-size whale’s tail emerging from the sea, hangs on the mezzanine of the multi-level station.
Speaking to the Citizen, Mr Öğüt said: “When I came to Stratford station for a site visit the noise of the transport system, both underground and overground, was all-surrounding.
“The sound of these trains immediately brought a story to my mind.”
Mr Öğüt’s commission, Saved By The Whale's Tale, Saved By Art is inspired by a remarkable incident in 2020 when an out-of-service Rotterdam Metro train overran the stop blocks at a station.
The train nearly plunged into a canal but was caught by a giant whale-tail sculpture, saving the driver's life.
He said: “Story telling is so important in this project. I like to discover stories that sound almost fictional. Some people think I've made this story up, from their first reaction.
“Art is not only about asking questions. It has a lot of possibilities that are sometimes beyond everyone’s imagination.
“We need to respect stories and art and wait for the right moment for an artwork to have a reason to exist. Art on the Underground provided me with that opportunity.”
Stratford station is served by the Docklands Light Railway, the Elizabeth line, London Overground and London Underground services. The design of the major interchange station made it an ideal location for Mr Öğüt’s work.
He said: “I wanted the scale to be one of one of a real whale's tale, so I needed the space. That was perfect for Stratford.
“The station also has inside and outside sections and three different levels so the piece can be seen from every angle, even before you enter the building.
“It's a really magical spot.”
Stratford is one of the busiest stations in the UK, with more than 56 million entries and exits in 2024. Roughly 38,315 Londoners pass through the station every day.
Mr Öğüt said: “I like how the story that inspired this piece was a part of everyday life. Its location on the London Underground is a perfect representation of that.
“I want it to make people think about how much we take for granted. I think of transport like time travel. You have a destination but there are many ways to get there, through taking different routes and different times. It affects our perception of the world and shifts our reality.
“We don’t need to look too far into the past or the future to find these possibilities in everyday life - we just need to look around.”
As part of the commission, a poster campaign launched across the London Underground network in April, calling on the public to share stories of when art has saved, transformed or reshaped them.
Mr Öğüt said: “We received a lot of personal stories. I really appreciate when people open up about their lives in this way. Art on the Underground is able to create a dialogue between the public and artists directly.”
From hundreds of responses received by the open call, a panel including Mr Öğüt selected The Bracelet by doctor Helen Whitley as its winning story, which is included as part of the installation at Stratford station.
The Bracelet’s message is: ‘Medicine teaches you to look fast. Art teaches you to look again,’ and calls on Whitley’s experience as a doctor and as an artist.
The story, along with an interview with Mr Öğüt and submissions from three runners-up, is available to read in a new free publication available at the station and online.
To show his thanks to Ms Whitley for sharing her story, Mr Öğüt has created a brass sculpture of the whale's tail as a gift.
Since its launch in 2000, Art on The Underground has commissioned artists to create works that brighten stations, pocket maps, and other transit spaces.
Eleanor Pinfield, Head of Art on the Underground, said: “Mr Öğüt’s project connects with the essential quality of art – to save us, literally and figuratively.
“There is no space like the Tube to reflect on these public stories, reaching millions of Londoners and visitors alike.
“This commission brings us together as we travel though the city by exploring the profound importance of art to our individual life stories.”
Looking forward to the legacy of his work in Stratford, Mr Öğüt is not yet sure of what to expect.
He said: “The effect of art is not always immediate and direct. I’ve had feedback 10 or 20 years on from my work being shown. People preserve art and it may affect them when they least expect it.
“I know that my work can only get better when people get involved in the process. And if I have contributed to the heritage of Stratford I will be a happier artist.”
