Tag Archives: mta arts and design

Nick Cave’s Soundsuits Come Alive in Times Square Subway Corridor

each one every one equal all photo by gail worley
All Photos By Gail

I doubt I ever would have seen some very cool subway art if I hadn’t gotten confused and walked west instead of east out of the Bryant Park station. My errant sense of direction lead me down the transit corridor that connects Sixth Avenue with Times Square station, and that’s where this exciting art installation by Nick Cave — entitled Each One, Every One, Equal All — can be found.

Continue reading Nick Cave’s Soundsuits Come Alive in Times Square Subway Corridor

Sea Life Inhabits The Subway Tunnels in Deborah Brown’s Platform Diving

Seal and Oncoming Train
All Photos By Gail

Platform Diving consists of seven glass mosaic murals commissioned by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority for the Houston Street subway station (at Varick Street) and installed in 1994 on the walls of the northbound and southbound subway platforms of the 1 Train, and in a waiting area by the token booth.

Dolphin Platform Diving

Sea Lions and Train
The mosaics depict undersea creatures — turtles, beluga whales, octopi, seals, and a manatee–swimming through the subway tunnels, platforms, and passenger cars. Occasionally, humans observe their movements. The concept behind the choice of imagery was to represent a fanciful, surreal encounter between the world we normally inhabit and the one we might encounter when we descend below the surface.

Sea Turtles

What’s so crazy is that these murals have been up for nearly 20 years, and I just them for the first time in early September, because I never get off at this stop.

Dolphins

Octopus Platform Diving

 

Mosaic Tile Hats of The Famous, 23rd Street N and R Subway Station

Subway Hats View
All Photos By Gail

As part of the MTA Arts & Design program (formerly known as MTA Arts for Transit), the platform walls at the Broadway and 23rd Street Subway stops for the N and R Trains are decorated with a seemingly endless row of colorful tile mosaics depicting a series of eclectic Hats previously worn on the heads many and varied famous people from times past. Here are few we photo-captured while out on an Urban Safari this last weekend! Continue reading Mosaic Tile Hats of The Famous, 23rd Street N and R Subway Station

Subway Cop

Subway Cop
Photo By Gail

This tiny bronze MTA Policewoman sculpture was spotted on patrol above ground at the elevator to the A C E line at 14th Street and 8th Avenue. Art by Tom Otterness as part of his Life Underground series for MTA Arts & Design.

Eastern Parkway/Brooklyn Museum Subway Stop

Eastern Parkway Subway
All Photos By Gail

When you enter into, or exit from, the subway at the Eastern Parkway-Brooklyn Museum stop, you can’t help but notice that you appear to have entered a showcase for the spoils from some kind of urban archaeological dig. Dozens of artifacts are embedded into the walls to create as stunning a display as anything you’ll see inside the museum.

The permanent installation is part of MTA Arts & Design (formerly Arts for Transit). The 2/3 train subway stop at this station features 78 pieces from the Brooklyn Museum’s own collection of ornaments taken from New York City buildings that are long gone. In fact, the Museum has long served as a repository for ornamental architectural forms salvaged from significant buildings that were being demolished. For installation, mosaic tiles were added along the walls to frame the objects.

Here are some of our favorite pieces photographed this unique subway station. Enjoy!

Brooklyn Museum Subway Stop

Brooklyn Museum Subway Stop

Brooklyn Museum Subway Stop

Brooklyn Museum Subway Stop

Brooklyn Museum Subway Stop

Brooklyn Museum Subway Stop