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“An Air of Rot and Decay”
With two locations in midtown Manhattan, including one adjacent to the Transit Museum Store in Grand Central Terminal, PIQ shops sell quirky, artist-designed tchotchkes and toys. This morning, as I passed through Grand Central, I noticed something unusual in the PIQ window:
Just in case you’re wondering, that’s a wall-mountable, hard-plastic New York City subway train that’s been “tagged” by a graffiti “artist.” Here’s another:
PIQ prices these at between $400 and $800. The sign in the window declares, “With respect to aerosol culture, style and the art of the letter, we present a canvas for those aspiring to try their hand at this ever-evolving tradition.”
This is all on display just a few steps from the headquarters of the Metropolitan Transit Authority—which last year celebrated the 25th anniversary of its victory in the long battle against vandalism on the subways:
The nearly two decade-long scourge of vandalism began with felt-tip markers and soon escalated to spray-paint. The practice turned the subway system into an unwelcome underworld where it seemed that all official control had been lost. Subway cars and stations were covered with grime and layers of graffiti, which gave the system an air of rot and decay. During this period, ridership plunged, crime soared and a generation of subway riders was left thinking that things would never get any better.
At the height of this destructive urban phenomenon, subway cars were so completely “tagged” that it was nearly impossible to see out of the windows . . . The low point came in 1983, when hundreds of subway cars were painted bright white, a virtual invitation to an army of graffiti vandals who took full advantage of a fresh canvas.
Actually, I’d say the low point came in November 2014, when PIQ decided to celebrate the “ever-evolving tradition” of spray-paint vandalism of property.
For $800 a pop.
But here’s the kicker: the MTA hates graffiti so much, it won’t even let Hollywood “tag” an MTA train for a film or TV project.
NYC Transit’s commitment to maintaining a graffiti-free system remains as strong as ever, even extending to telling members of the creative universe a resounding NO when requests are made to “graffiti” a train or station for a movie, television show or advertising campaign.
“The subway system is the joint property of all New Yorkers and the selfish and destructive acts of graffiti vandals are a slap in the face to our five million plus daily customers and the force of workers who are charged with keeping the system clean,” said NYC Transit President Carmen Bianco. “And we will not disparage the efforts of those charged with protecting our system by allowing the appearance of even staged vandalism.
Maybe the MTA could ask its landlord, Andrew Penson, a real-estate investor who owns Grand Central, to have a stern word with PIQ?
Barring that, maybe some aspiring “artist” with a real point to make might take full advantage of the fresh canvas inside the PIQ store.
And see how they like it.
Published in General
I can’t get past the phrase “aerosol culture” without rolling my eyes so hard it becomes too difficult to read the rest.
Having grown up in the NYC suburbs in the 70’s, I am constantly shocked by how many “hip” people or groups long for the golden age of seedy New York. Modern day Times Square probably is too sterile; but, I’ll take today’s Times Square in a New York minute over the cesspool of prostitutes, drug dealers, X-rated theaters, and the seriously crazy, violent people which once inhabited it. You could not get onto a subway, not one, without a pan handler standing up and loudly requesting change. I wish the people who celebrate that era really take the time and understand what it was really like. It wasn’t “edgy” at all.
Meh. I can’t really get worked up about faux graffiti on model trains.
Especially considering that these things are going for $400, I’m doubtful that they’ll inspire very much genuine criminal graffitti. Real taggers aren’t generally the market for $400 toys, methinks.
It’s little different than video games where one is free to commit wanton acts of criminality. It’s not real, so I’m not too worried about it.
One can appreciate consensual “aerosol art” adorning one’s own property without endorsing criminal graffiti defacing other people’s property.
New York City is huge. If one wants “grit”, there are plenty of places for one to find it.
Times Square is a mere three square kilometres. I don’t think that’s too much tourist-friendly cleanliness to ask for out of a city of 11 thousand square kilometres.
Apropos of Nothing: One of the things that attracts criminal graffiti is blank space, especially blank space that is perceived as ugly.
Other agencies, like power companies and phone companies, have followed suit by covering electrical boxes with similarly-styled artwork.
So far, the strategy has worked like a charm.
That’s hilarious. Nice post.
“If it weren’t for double standards, liberals wouldn’t have any at all.”