<p>Above ground Somerset House boasts one of London's most famous courtyards, a neo-classical gem used for film sets, fashion shows and a glamorous skating venue in the winter.<br /><br />Beneath the spectacular square are little-known underground passageways called the "Deadhouse", which opens to the public this week for the first exhibition of paintings ever to be held there.<br /><br />Somerset House's resident artist Paul Benney is exhibiting his paintings in a show running from Oct. 4 to Dec. 9.<br /><br />Benney, who has had a studio at Somerset House for 2-1/2 years, has produced a series of eerie, elemental images including a Pan figure floating above a forest, a naked man "emerging" from thick fog and a face whose shaved head has burst into flames.<br /><br />"I don't set out to make eerie or unsettling work," said the artist, also a well-known portrait painter. "It does eventually come across as that, I think, as a coincidence, as a result of me finding imagery that makes sense to me."<br /><br />Officials at Somerset House are hoping the combination of an innovative space unknown to most visitors and the art on display will make the "Night Paintings" show a major draw.</p>
