Single Fare 2: Please Swipe Again

There are many things that unite New Yorkers of all walks of life; the high cost of living, every body always knows somebody, privacy is a luxury for most, and our unanimous hate for the MTA! Prices for metro cards have skyrocketed since 2004 and subway services have been cut causing longer, crowded commutes, and delays! Well, this blog post is not to voice my already apparent negative opinions about the MTA, but to celebrate it's little bright yellow cards. Last year two New York City artist, Michael Kagan and Jean-Pierre Roy, came up with the concept of creating art on metro cards. This led to an exhibit open to all artists who wanted to turn in cards. The show was a success and it has grown into something bigger. This year, Single Fair 2: Please Swipe Again will be held at Sloan Fine Art from March 18-26. This is an open call to all artists and all metro cards will accepted, exhibited, and sold.

N Train Rider 1, 2011, graphite on metro card, 3 1/2 x 2 inches

I created three small drawings for the show. Trying to find a subject matter that might work for such a small format can be tricky, but many of the participating artists have found imaginative ways of making art out of the cards. I opted for a quicker medium, something that would allow me to turn in my pieces on time. I decided to make portraits of subway riders on the metro cards. I originally intended to make self portraits, but thanks to my partner's quick way of thinking he thought I should go through my archive of subway photos and draw those. The portraits stemmed from that idea.

N Train Rider 2, 2011, graphite on metro card, 3 1/2 x 2 inches

I have sketched subway riders in my moleskine before, they were exercises on achieving quick gestural lines and capturing the moment. I approached the metro cards in the same way this morning on my way into work, and at night on my way back home.

N Train Rider 3, 2011, graphite on metro card, 3 1/2 x 2 inches

This turned out to be a fun project and something different than the usual painting I do. I have some ideas floating through my head thanks to this, I might be working on more of these cards and might take it a bit further. For more information on Single Fare visit its site here.