Subway-Stickman: The New Subway Graffiti Art Movement?

(The Great Billy Jam contributes this peek at developing trends in subway tagging)

Who would have thunk it? To transform a couple of dirty worn-into-the-ground pieces of blackened gum into a simple yet eye-catching piece of public art.  And so easy and fast to do!  With a few swift strokes of white paint on a teeny brush (remember "White Out"?) voila: you have Subway Stickman - who could well bring on the next NYC Subway graffiti movement. Anyone can do it. You don't need hours of practice doing pieces with your crew and you most likely will never get caught. Just pretend you're fixing your laces as you speed-paint Stickman.

Subway Stickman's simple style takes us back to an era in graffiti long before spray cans and hip-hop. More importantly Stickman makes the point that try as the MTA might to suppress public art on their platforms and in their tunnels, artistic expression will always manage to pop up somewhere - like a green weed out of cracked cold concrete. The MTA's zero-tolerance policy towards subway graffiti just forces its makers to become more creative. Hence Subway Stickman - created from gum stuck to the ground.  This "Subway Stickman" was photographed recently on the 14th Street F train, downtown/Brooklyn platform - at the front end of the train.

For Billy Jam's photo display of "Graffiti On The Beach: Bolinas, CA" see the Playlist page for February 23d's "Put The Needle On The Record"

Comments

[ron]

looks like mr hankey.

[Fred]

That's a fresh idea! Love graffiti integrations like a lot of street art artists do (Banksy, Dran...). If you want to see more pictures, you can check this site:
http://www.bombingscience.com

[Dan]

This is happening in London, too.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dan_hassan/sets/72157602733736862/

These things are mint!