I really like wall art. Murals, graffiti,
mosaics, frescos... you name it. If it's on a wall, I probably like it. Why is this? Because I appreciate
public art in general. I really enjoy how adding art to a public space, like a bridge, a park, or even a
subway station can brighten up everyone's day. Suddenly that commute on the train turns into a mini museum trip every morning, and that run through the park turns into a private viewing of a statue gallery. I love it. And, lucky for me, New York is smothered in public art- it's just everywhere. It doesn't hurt that I live near one of the largest and prettiest parks in the city,
Prospect Park. That kind of just fuels my adoration.
In any case, the subway art in New York City is pretty great compared to other cities I have visited. Many stations have intricate mosaic work, some have statues, like the
14th Street 8th Ave Station in Manhattan, and some, like many stops along the J, M, and Z trains, and a few stops along the Q line, have stained glass designs in the platform or station. Some of the stations are rather decrepit, and almost rotting, but some of the ones I would have currently put on that list are currently under renovation by the
MTA, the Metropolitan Transport Authority, which is the governmental department that runs all of
New York City's transportation. As annoying as it is when they close down stations for a weekend, or even months at a time, the results can be rather impressive. For example, the relatively new mosaic work in the
Bay Ridge 86th St Station on the R line in Brooklyn is quite nice. However, some of the station mosaic art is just simply exquisite.
One station that I would say falls into the exquisite category, is the
Prince Street Station in Manhattan on the N and R lines. There are mosaics of... silhouettes of people. People who look like they'd be in New York City. There are rich women with heels and fancy bags, men with construction hats and beer guts pushing carts full of who knows what, children, people with backpacks and hats, nuns, pregnant women. Of course, not everyone is represented, but it's a pretty nice cross section of the people you might see actually standing in the station. I get to see this most every day- I generally ride the express train that passes through this station without stopping, and as I look out the window, I see the actual people and their shadow counterparts side by side, captured in a moment, frozen. The people mix with the art on the wall, and it really is beautiful. My New York.
Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
