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NYC Metrocard Art

While visiting a number of art galleries in NYC, we happened upon a show called "Single Fare" which had a large number of art works, all with one thing in common: the art was created on (or using) a NYC transit Metrocard. For those of you not familiar with a Metrocard, a regular version is pictured at right, and is a fare card used to ride the subways in NYC. One would think that being constrained with the format of using a small plastic card would make for a narrow range of art, but as you'll see below, the artists in this show came up with a lot of creative ideas.    

Below is an installation view of the exhibition - as you can see, there were hundreds of works in the show.

Below left: paintings by 4 or 5 different artists; below right: a series of doors painted on Metrocards.

Below left: a portrait of Marilyn Monroe, relating to Andy Warhol's Marilyn; below right: a NYC street scene.

We really liked the series below left that only have painting on the black magnetic stripe ... the groups of people make us think of the people standing on a subway platform waiting for the train. Below right: rocket ships, rats and abstractions ... what a mix!

We really liked this series of floral abstractions which allow the Metrocard to show through the negative space.

We thought these were the most technically-impressive works in the show - the artist has carved countour lines in the card to make interpretations of famous pictures and icons, but they're not readily apparent until one hangs them an inch off the wall and lets the light shine through, creating the "shadow art" on the wall. Can you make out the iconic images below? From left, Michael Jackson; Jack Nicholson from "The Shining;" Charlie Chaplin; the Statue of Liberty with Yoda and Michelangelo's David below. At right, a detail view of the Michelangelo David.

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