PRESS RELEASE
29 July 2024
All aboard world's first Doodle Train on the Kent & East Sussex Railway!
In his biggest vehicle art challenge to date, internationally acclaimed artist Mr Doodle has created the world's first Doodle Train which will take passengers along the Kent & East Sussex Railway (K&ESR) on scheduled services until the end of August.
The completed Doodle Train Carriage
Photo by Alison Miles
Over the course of a night and a day, the Tenterden-based artist covered the sides of an entire 64ft railway carriage with his instantly recognisable signature doodles. The final stages of the transformation happened live at the platform of Tenterden Town Station, in front of a crowd of fans, visitors and press.
The doodles were drawn directly onto a special protective wrap covering the carriage sides - a technique more often used to apply pre-printed designs to cars and other vehicles - to protect the vintage 1950s vehicle which will be returned to its original state when the wrap is removed.
No stranger to large public art challenges, Mr Doodle has doodled on everything from a Formula One car to his whole house. However, helping to create the Doodle Train is not only his biggest ever vehicle challenge but the first piece of his art that the public are actually able to travel in.
This special challenge was issued to Mr Doodle by the Kent & East Sussex Railway as part of their 50thAnniversary celebrations and has been funded by Mr Doodle.
The Doodle Train now joins the railway's regular passenger fleet on a selected number of its scheduled heritage servicesthroughout August. These are also included in the railway's Summer ‘Kids Go FREE' offer1, running over the same period. Any child aged under 16 can travel for free with any fare-paying adult. This ticket allows unlimited trips up and down the line on the day of travel.
The first two Doodle Train services departed from Tenterden Town Station at 11:25am on both Saturday 27 July and Sunday 28 July with Mr Doodle joining passengers aboard the Saturday morning train.
Tenterden Town Station also became a DoodleTown station for the weekend, with children enjoying special Mr Doodle activities including doodling their own cardboard train and taking part in a treasure hunt to spot a series of Mr Doodle signature doodles placed around the station. A selection of Mr Doodle merchandise is also on sale in the station shop until the end of August.
Mr Doodle, who grew up in Tenterden and still lives in the town, has millions of followers worldwide via his social media channels.
Speaking about completing the project, Mr Doodle said:
"I was very happy doodling a train! It was the first time my drawings have appeared on a vehicle this size. It was so fun! It's especially nice that it all happened in my hometown. I hope the people there enjoyed it!"
Robin Coombes, K&ESR General Manager, said:
"As a local artist and frequent visitor to the K&ESR, we were delighted that Mr Doodle agreed to literally ‘make his mark' on our 50th Anniversary celebrations. We'd also like to extend our thanks to Mr Doodle for funding the project and giving his time to help support the railway and the local community.
"Some heritage railway enthusiasts might have raised their eyebrows at this initiative, but for our 50thAnniversary we committed to not only celebrating the achievements of the past five decades but also to looking to the future and how we can continue to thrive. The positive response to date - from the look of the finished carriage to the many people who came to see the artist at work and then to ride the first of the Doodle Trains - has already proved we were right in trying something new."
There are a limited number of seats available on each Doodle Train2which can't be reserved so, to avoid disappointment, both advance online booking atwww.kesr.org.ukto save and early arrival at the station are strongly recommended for Doodle Train scheduled services. Terms and conditions apply, please visit the website for more details.
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For further information please contact:
Alison Miles, Press Officer, K&ESR
amiles@kesr.org.uk/ 07900 691116
Notes to Editors:
Please click on the links below the photos to download the originals.
- Terms and conditions apply - please visit the website for more details: www.kesr.org.uk
- The Doodle Train will be made up of two carriages, one of which has been doodled. Seats on K&ESR passenger services are available on a first come, first served basis for Freedom Ticket holders
About the Kent & East Sussex Railway:The Kent & East Sussex Railway is a renowned heritage railway based in Tenterden, Kent, UK and operates as an educational charity. Built by Holman F Stephens, it was the first light passenger railway in Britain in the early 20thcentury and is today one of Britain's most loved and original heritage lines which this year (2024) celebrates the 50thanniversary of reopening. With a rich history spanning over 120 years, the K&ESR offers visitors an authentic steam and diesel-powered railway experience through 10½ miles of Wealden countryside in the beautiful Rother Valley, a designated National Landscape (formerly known as Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). Staffed almost entirely by volunteers, the railway prides itself on preserving railway heritage, operating a diverse range of locomotives, and providing a unique glimpse into the golden age of rail travel.
Mr Doodle: Biography
Mr Doodle began consuming the Earth's surface with doodles when he was born in 1994. He started out by covering his parents' furniture with doodles and eventually his whole bedroom until he realised that his home wasn't enough of a canvas and he began doodling on the walls of local fast-food restaurants and schools. During his career, Mr Doodle has constructed a whole new visual phenomenon: his DoodleLand, where he manifests his vision of the world, producing dense clusters of characters, objects and patterns that grow and multiply relentlessly.
Mr Doodle began to garner recognition in the artworld in 2015 and has since seen a meteoric rise in interest in his work. He stands at the forefront of a new art wave, taking the online art community by storm with a mass social media following. Truly a millennial artist, his works provoke discourse on what we consider fine art today.
Mr Doodle's works transcend beyond the canvas, invading furniture, rooms, clothing, cars, buildings and more. Like other artists of his generation, he also explored a number of collaborations with iconic brands, including Fendi, Puma, Samsung, Disney, PacMan, Redbull and MTV. But where Mr Doodle separates himself is in his sense of purpose: a deep and obsessive compulsion to expand and share his vision of DoodleLand. As a form of release or meditation, his process is fluid, therapeutic, uncalculated and without hesitation, as if channelling directly from his world into ours with great stamina. He ultimately seeks to spread a sense of wonder, mayhem and hope whilst seeking a greater understanding of his place in the universe.
Recent solo exhibitions include:Mr Doodle! Museum Mayhem(2024), the Holburne Museum, Bath, UK;Mr Doodle in Space(2023), Pearl Lam Galleries, Hong Kong, China with part 2 of the exhibition at 6/F, K11 MUSEA Art & Cultural Centre;Disney Doodles(2023), Artelli, Macau, China;Mr Doodle in Love(2023), chi K11 Art Space, Wuhan, China;Abstract Doodlism(2022), Sea World Culture and Arts Center, Shenzhen, China;Doodle Transformation(2022), Pearl Lam Galleries, Shanghai, China;Mr Doodle in Love(2022), chi K11 Art Museum, Shanghai, China;Doodle Kyoto(2019), Shimadai Gallery, Kyoto, Japan;Doodle Tokyo(2019), Daikanyama Hillside Forum, Tokyo, Japan;Doodle World(2018), ARA Art Centre, Seoul, South Korea.