CROSSED TRACKS
1996, 30 x 40. Oils on Canvas. All pieces of this painting were seen out the front windows of trains I have ridden in the underground subways of NYC. I put them together into this one painting as both a literal representation of the subway and symbolic. The symbolic refers to the two directions we have in life, one towards the darkness and one towards the light. We are always at a fork in the road where there are Crossed Tracks.
SUBWAY FLIGHT
2000 54 X 70 Oils on Canvas. Into the stark cement hallways and the ancient underground stairs where millions have tred. Into the cars where your fate awaits. Blasted through tunnels where dirt and rats rule. Out into bridges and back under water. You are in the New York dream. You have entered Subway Flight.
UNDER THE PLATFORM
1996. 30 X 40. Oils on Canvas. The Subways have many mysteries. What is happening under the waiting area? Here is part of it revealed.
SIMPSON STREET STATION
1996. 36 x 48. Oils on Canvas. This subway station is located in the Bronx NYC. I journeyed up there one day in the 1990’s to do some drawings of abandoned buildings and areas ravaged by drugs and crime. This view from the elevated subway station intrigued me so I did a painting of it. It captures a bit of the mystery, loneliness and isolation of the Bronx, which still exists today. Even though much of NYC is gentrified, the Bronx still remains the hold out of the Wild West.
SUBWAY ENTRANCE BUDDIES
1996. 24 X 36. Oils on Canvas. In an entrance to a subway station near where I lived for most of my life, the IND line on Houston Street and Lafayette street, guys would often hang out and beg for money. On one occasion, these two guys struck me as an odd couple. I did a drawing either quickly there without them seeing, or from memory-I can’t recall. By carrying a small drawing pad, in this case, 4 x 6 inches, with stealth, you can draw without being noticed, in New York City.
SUBWAY OF THE MIND
1984. 24 x 36 Oils on Canvas Panel. One of my most famous and memorable images. I sold more of this image than any others. It sticks in the minds of viewers whether they ever rode the New York Subway or not. It’s like a chord in music that haunts people. People saw this image on the street in my street show and remembered it years later. They searched for me to find me so they could finally buy it. And everyone was certain it was their station, but it was not. It was a play on all stations. It wasn’t literal. It was and still is, the SUBWAY OF THE MIND.
