See Awesome Old Subway Graffiti at the Museum of the City of New York
Submitted by Raven Snook on
When Long Island City's incredible graffiti mecca 5 Pointz was whitewashed last year, many said that it was the end of an era. As a kid, I felt the same way when all the graffiti disappeared from the subways. Whether you consider graffiti vandalism or high art, there's no denying that it's long been a colorful part of the NYC landscape. It has also evolved with the city: In the '70s, graffiti grew out of poverty, politics and inner-city strife; by the '80s, the scene's biggest stars were exhibiting in downtown galleries; now it's an internationally respected art form (so long as no one's tagging up your property).
The Museum of the City of New York's brand-new exhibit, City as Canvas, features more than 150 vintage graffiti works, including pieces by legendary artists like Lee Quiñones, LADY PINK and the late Keith Haring, as well as photographs of subway art long since painted over. The display celebrates NYC's graffiti history but also puts the controversial art form in context, quoting its critics as well as its champions. Not that kids will really care much about that. The moment we walked in, my eight-year-old ran to a massive photo of a subway train covered in eye-popping images and asked, "Mommy, were subways really like that when you were growing up?" City as Canvas gave her a peek into what New York City used to look and feel like, and sent me on a serious nostalgia trip.