Invisible, mystical 'energy lines' are believed by some to criss-cross England, and a new exhibition by artist bones tan jones is bringing renewed attention to the ancient theory of ley lines. The exhibition, Tunnel Visions, currently on display at Queercircle near Silvertown, documents tan jones's six-day walk from Silvertown to Stonehenge, following a route that connects two sites of proposed underground road tunnels.
The term 'ley line' was first coined in 1921 by Alfred Watkins, an amateur archaeologist from Herefordshire. While out riding, Watkins observed a grid of straight lines across the landscape, linking churches, standing stones, crossroads, burial mounds, and other ancient features. He published his theories in 1925 in the book The Old Straight Track, which suggested that these alignments were remnants of prehistoric trackways used by ancient Britons.
After World War Two, the concept of ley lines took on a more mystical dimension, with believers claiming they represent invisible energy pathways. Artist bones tan jones, who grew up in the countryside, says they have long been interested in Earth energy and ley lines. Their journey incorporated encounters with holloways and The Harrow Way, said to be the oldest road in Britain, and involved singing to maintain the peace of the land, inspired by ancient druidic practices.
The exhibition blends spirituality, music, ritual, craft, sculpture, and moving image, reflecting tan jones's broader artistic practice. Tunnel Visions is on display at Queercircle, near Silvertown, inviting visitors to consider the connection between the natural and artificial, the sacred and the un-sacred.
