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Have You Spotted The Fake Subway Tiles?
By
Jen Carlson
Published May 17, 2010
Modified May 17, 2010
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By
Jen Carlson
Published May 17, 2010
Modified May 17, 2010
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Photo by The Real Janelle
Stained glass, mosaics, tiled penguins... there's a lot going on underground (in fact, here's an entire guide to all the subway art you can find throughout the system). But this piece, well, wins. What a simple yet accurate reflection on the current state of city agencies and their budget woes. Sure, it's a minimalist approach, but it says so much. Just look at the edges—dirty and peeling, staring back at straphangers, as if mocking them for paying $89/month for this. For giant, fake, peeling tiles.
We've contacted NYC Transit to find out more about WTF the deal is with these sticker tiles. How often do they get replaced, and does a new layer just go on top? So many unanswered questions! We'll update if we get any answers—but as with the many provocative works of art, this may have to be left open to interpretation.
Tagged
fake
MTA
nyc transit
nyct
stickers
subway
tiles
tiling
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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