Sunday, March 6, 2011

Out, about and around the subway...

This is a big one... This is three days worth of images... I love this project!
I hope you do too! ;) It's a lot of pictures, so let's get right to it!



I finally managed to get this image close to one of my home stations: 127 St exit of 125 St station on the A, B, C, D lines. I had missed the right moment so many times... Love the building in the background... Always wanted to live in one of those old school buildings! (I don't know if this is an actual school building, but it looks like one...)



Times Square is a tough spot for this project to work on... So many people everywhere... Need to be in the right mood for that... Here some art pieces (Toby Buonagurio's "35 times"from 2005) I came across in a passage way that I might never be able to locate again...



I know I'm highly critical of a lot of the art pieces presented in the subway, but I like these pieces... The saturated, vivid colors stand out nicely against the cool greenish translucent tiles...



Another one of those pieces...



And another one! ;)



And here's one with headless dancers!



This could have been taken anywhere... A train rushing into the station against the yellow "don't fall off the platform" guards... (Maybe I should call them bumpy tiles!) I took this at the Union Square station...



L line stop Bedford Ave in Brooklyn... Have to go back there for more outside shots... Timing was not right... But was very lucky with this one... I like the blurred steps in contrast to the wooden seat...



First Ave, L line. Love how they just tiled over the former door opening...
This as well used to be a home station for a little while...




Image says it all: Third Ave, L line...



Typical turnstile set up, luckily fairly spacious in layout...



Looking through...



Union Square. Simple, but beautiful!



23 St station, N, R lines: A typical Gotham moment for me... Even with the Empire State Building in the background! Extra points! Yes!



On my way back home: Hadn't realized how intricate the design of 72 St station (1, 2, 3 lines) is...



Bank building outside 14 St station (A, C, E, L lines).



A fellow aikidoist told me about substations... That's where the power comes from Con Ed into the system to get transformed for subway usage... Have to find more of them... This one is just lovely! With gigantic doors...



Normal sized door at same substation...



Detail of substation...



Outside 14 St station (1, 2, 3 lines): St. Vincent...



Not all buildings are pretty in New York City! (At same station...)



At Christopher St station, 1 line: Old school sign of Village Cigars.



Love this, if I might say so myself! Weird mix: Subway exit, old school sign, funky movie posters! Might actually consider seeing this one! ;)



I waited quite a while for this... Then it turned out that the globe that was in the position for the layout of this shot work was really weak... At first I wasn't even sure if it actually was working at all... But it still worked out in the end, doesn't it usually?



Houston St station, 1 line.



Canal St station, 1 line: Would love to know when this emblem was conceived... Canal St seems always a little rough to me... And then this tower on the tag... Mmh...



That's more like it! The water makes it more dramatic! Fits better with the idea I have of Canal St...



Come on: Pink vertical stripes at Canal St??? Really??



Outside said station...



Inside, but on uptown side now... Most likely I could have taken this shot on the other side as well... Hadn't noticed this very solid looking construction before though...



Home station (One of the three around here): 125 St station (2,3 lines). One of two ID plate designs... This one is stronger than the flat, mosaic one...



Faith Ringgold's "Flying Home: Harlem Heroes and Heroines" is not really my thing... But wanted to share it with you anyways as it's installed in one of my home stations...



Detail of Flying Home.



Another detail...



Third and last detail of this piece...



One of the things that fascinate me so about this project is paying attention to the little details like this one here: Different layers of paint at the Park Place (2, 3 line) station... Makes me wonder what it was like when the first layer was put on there? It's inspiring time travel in my head!



P for Park Place! (Shouldn't that be "PP"?)



Park Place station is connected to the World Trade Center station (E line)... This is part of the piece "Oculus" by Andrew Ginzel & Kristin Jones... Not so impressed by this part...



But I'm liking the eyes!



More eyes with police help note... A "see something - say something" poster would have been even better though!



Typical MTA subway bench set up for the layout where the tracks envelop the platform...



Very happy that I saw this one! Love fans! (Remember "Angel Heart"?!!)



Wall St station, 2, 3 lines.



Same station...



Outside the Broad St (J, Z) station...



Close to the South Ferry... Dark and gloomy day with lots of rain... My feet were wet before I even reached the station this morning...



I guess they didn't just buy the red tile for the 53 St - Lexington Ave stop...



Tiled diagonally, I swear!!



Not quite sure what this was an entrance to, maybe Bowling Green? Now it's the exit of the Bowling Green station... Security cameras mounted like design elements...



Outside the Bowling Green station...



This is the odd one out in this series: Inside of the Wall St Borders book store, which is closing down... Decided to take this image as I didn't know if I'd still have access at a later date... Didn't want to miss out on this vivid interior detail!



Detail of the Wall St (4, 5) station... Love this design!



Globe of Rector St station with view of the American Stock Exchange...



Around the Rector St station...



Tying a pink ribbon: No uptown service this weekend at this station...



Going down to the Rector St station... Definitely one of the more scary looking entrances!



Rector St station (N, R lines): I didn't even know that that there was even one Rector St stop... And the decal is actually different between the two! This one has the R on a rich red...



Stairs. Newer version. Like the older ones better... Mmmh, that reminds me of those people who always claim that bands earlier albums are the best! ;)



I didn't even know that this combo existed... Square post with divided globe...
I always thought it would be either square post with box light or round post with divided globe... Or at least a solid globe, but what do I know? Wow, I think I've now become a subway nerd... Or maybe knowing the answer to this scenario would make me one?



Rector St station (1 line) decal: White R on green.



Typical setup with modern looking greenish tyles... And that's it for this time!

6 comments:

  1. Dirk, I really love this series. Your work has come a long way since I first saw it, and is clearly heading in a pretty special direction. I am amazed not only at the shots, but at the fact that you managed them without any people present. This IS the NYC subway, right? . Keep up the great work dude, your really doing it now!

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  2. Chuck, thank you so much for your kind words! I'm moved. Regarding the people or no people in the images... I think that in those instances people would not further the message regarding the layout and design of the subway as I see it... Just a matter of patience really... At a later date I want to take portraits as well... But I have to figure out in what context first though... ;)

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  3. Maybe portraits of people in their home stations?

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  4. I like that, Susan! Great idea... Will think about it some more, but that would be a good in...
    Thank you!

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  5. Just came across this from a google search for "nyc subway pink ribbon" and I'm quite happy with what I see! Great photos, great stories. SAVED. /Teymoor

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  6. Thank you for your kind words, Teymoor!

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