Regent’s Canal Towpath Illusion
Joe Hill and Max Lowry · Regent’s Canal, Islington, London, UK · 2009
Photo: as published on Street Art Utopia (16 January 2011).
A crevasse seems to split the Regent’s Canal towpath in Islington. British Waterways commissioned Joe Hill and Max Lowry to paint it for National Bike Week, to make cyclists slow down for people on foot. Source Source Checked
Seen June 2009: road.cc reported the work on the towpath on 17 June 2009, and a waterways blog wrote about it on 25 June 2009. It was a painting on canvas laid on the path for a campaign, and we found no later sighting. Source Source Source Checked
💡 5 things to know
- A safety messageThe Evening Standard says British Waterways staff had reported some cyclists riding carelessly and endangering pedestrians, and hoped the image would make riders slow down. Source Checked
- Painted on canvasThe Standard describes a painting of a canyon on canvas, placed on the towpath; road.cc, in June 2009, a canvas painting of a gaping hole in the path. Source Source Checked
- Two crevassesAccording to the Standard, Hill and Lowry painted two of the crevasses on the path, and waterways staff were to wait by them to advise cyclists. Source Checked
- “We hope this art will shock”Joseph Young, British Waterways’ towpath manager, told the Standard that most cyclists share the space amicably but a handful refuse to slow down. Source Checked
- Recalled in a retrospectiveIn 2011 the Camden New Journal recalled the towpath crater in a report on a memorial retrospective of Max Lowry’s work. Source Checked
📍 Where it was
On the Regent’s Canal towpath in Islington, London. The sources do not name the exact stretch, so the button opens a map of the canal in Islington. Source Checked
🗓️ Sightings
- 200917 Jun
road.cc: the hole on the Islington towpath
- 200925 Jun
Waterways blog writes about the live campaign
- 201117 Jun
Camden New Journal recalls the towpath crater
Green stamps mark dated photographs; amber stamps mark records or reports; red stamps mark loss. Publication dates are not camera dates.
🗞️ In the sources
“The optical illusion in Islington was commissioned by British Waterways for national Bike Week.”
Ruth Bloomfield. The page carries this date; the campaign itself ran in 2009.
“The majority of cyclists share the space amicably. However, a handful refuse to slow down. We hope this art will shock.”
The towpath manager, quoted in the same article.
“The work was commissioned by British Waterways to encourage cyclists to slow down on the towpath to avoid walkers.”
From a report on a retrospective of Max Lowry’s work.
✅ The facts
🔗 Related
- Would You Step Here? (10 Photos) — Street Art Utopia
- Amazing 3D Art by Joe and Max — Street Art Utopia
- All Artwork Files
All sources & image credits
- standard.co.uk: Cyclists beware, highly realistic painting of hole ahead (page dated 12 April 2012)
- camdennewjournal.co.uk: Retrospective celebrates work of 3D artist Max Lowry (2011)
- road.cc: Hole in the path stops cyclists in their tracks (17 June 2009)
- captainahabswaterytales.blogspot.com: British Waterways financial black hole found in Islington (25 June 2009)
- Image: the Regent’s Canal towpath illusion by Joe Hill and Max Lowry, as published on Street Art Utopia; a 16:9 share image was made from it.
Last checked: 1 November 2026. How we verify art