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Graffiti Artist Electrocuted By Third Rail In Brooklyn
By
Ben Yakas
Published Jul 5, 2014
Modified Jul 5, 2014
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Jul 5, 2014
Modified Jul 5, 2014
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A Queens graffiti artist was electrocuted by the third rail in a subway station in Brooklyn this week. Jason Wulf, 42, who went by the tag DG, was found dead on the subway tracks just before 10 p.m. Wednesday at the 25th Street Station in Sunset Park. Police are unclear whether this is the same person who died after falling onto the subway tracks while trying to switch between cars that evening.
A friend of Wulf's speculated to the Post that he may have been tagging, or was about to tag, the tunnel there; cops only say that he was alone and on the third rail when they found him that night. Fellow street artists did take to the tunnel to tag it in Wulf's honor on Thursday and Friday, prompting police to go there Friday to keep people away.
Wulf, a founder of the NWC (New Wave Crew), started tagging in the mid-1980s. "It’s devastating," pal June Lang told the Post. "He had a talent that nobody had. It was more than tagging to him. It was an art. It was beautiful. He would do side walls for businesses. He didn’t just do the trains; he did everything."
Bucky Turco at AnimalNY writes: "DG was able to pull off what many of his fellow writers couldn’t: Create a body of artwork that is intrinsically graffiti, but not a redundant reiteration of his work on the street. Despite his outpouring of creativity, he never embraced the art world or graffiti circuit. Although he sold canvasses, he represented that older school breed of graffiti writer who had no interest in mainstream recognition."
Wulf's family has raised $10K with an online campaign to pay for his funeral/memorial service.
Tagged
brooklyn
death
dg
graffiti
jason wulf
street artist
subway fatalities
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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