Laura Weir's Editor's Letter: 7/7 Issue of Evening Standard Magazine

Laura Weir explains why the London United issue of ES magazine was so important...
Laura Weir6 July 2017

I have never gained as much comfort from anywhere or anyone as I do from London.

I truly think she’s mine — in the way that you think she is your city; we are each in our own way possessive, protective and largely faithful to our magnificent metropolis.

With this London United Collector’s Edition of ES Magazine and its six unique covers, I wanted to pay tribute to the capital’s resilience in the face of recent tragedies — at Westminster, Borough, Finsbury Park, the Grenfell Tower atrocity — and to commemorate the 7/ 7 anniversary of the London bombings, which fell on this day 12 years ago.

This issue is designed to spread a message of hope and respect, and to create an enduring platform that will keep these stories alive.

Antony Gormley

To my immense pride, artist after artist signed up, although they were given just days to create their cover. Gillian Wearing’s ambitious idea — to capture 52 Londoners, standing for a minute’s silence to commemorate the 52 people who lost their lives in the 7/ 7 terrorist attacks — would usually take far longer to turn around. But my team were determined, drafting in the public from the street outside the studio to star in the shoot.

Gillian Wearing

Wolfgang Tillmans, the legendary photographer, initially declined to contribute due to prior commitments. The following evening, however, he emailed saying that while travelling home on the Tube inspiration had struck. The image you see on his cover, bearing the powerful words ‘London, Light, Hope’, was taken in that very moment. Anish Kapoor’s piece powerfully conveys exactly the optimistic sensibility that I had hoped this issue would achieve.

Wolfgang Tillmans

Antony Gormley’s cover was inspired by him reflecting on how ‘resilience and common sympathy occurs with every precious existence’ — how beautiful is that? Jamie Hewlett came up with his almighty, rousing concept in 24 hours. And then, of course, there’s Ai Weiwei, who submitted an excerpt from a recently created piece, Odyssey. The sheer attention to detail is staggering.

Anish Kapoor

I am in awe of these people and their generosity.

Ai Weiwei

Inside, we meet the Londoners who became heroes when terror struck — it is without question the most moving piece I have ever edited. Plus, we present a shoot with photographer Charlie Kwai as he documents Londoners in their natural habitats. Ben Machell writes beautifully about London’s enduring spirit, My London is Roy ‘Lion of London Bridge’ Larner and Grace Dent returns to El Pastor in the heart of Borough. I am so proud of everyone involved in making this issue, thank you.

Jamie Hewlett

London is an unapologetic metropolis; beautifully foreign yet deeply familiar, it’s proudly regal yet refreshingly informal, creative and poised; it is the sacred and the profane, the greatest living example of life there is and we are lucky to be here to love it. Enjoy this issue; please seek out all six covers, they are scattered across town. And tell your friends that there’s collectable art on the streets for free this Thursday and Friday.

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