Comments on: Art for commuters' sake

Art for commuters' sake

MartinWisse — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 14:29:47 -0800

in 1977 Amsterdam got its first Underground/metro line. The trains that first ran on that line, the "zilvermeeuwen or seagulls" are still in service some thirtyodd years later and have gotten a midlife update a few years ago. Part of that update included a new anti-graffitti skin, but also the transformation of some fortyfour carriages into art shows, featuring artworks and photographs by fortyfour Dutch artists.

By: MartinWisse

MartinWisse — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 14:32:15 -0800

Inspired by the simple fact that I've been commuting in these trains for the last year or so. If so inclined, you could also see this as symbolic for the destruction of spontaneous, folk art (graffiti) in favour of subsidised, commodised, safe art.

By: phrontist

phrontist — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 14:36:50 -0800

Yeah, it seems even art on trains has to happen on the state's terms.

By: brokkr

brokkr — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 14:43:42 -0800

Can I paint your car, phrontist?

By: 1adam12

1adam12 — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 14:56:01 -0800

brokkr, you paint it first. Then I'll write my name all over your paintings in messy black paint.

By: Pruitt-Igoe

Pruitt-Igoe — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 15:01:02 -0800

"folk art" on the interior of trains (beyond performance art) isn't usually the kind of graffiti people like to celebrate. It's stickers and hastily scrawled tags. No big loss there.

By: Pruitt-Igoe

Pruitt-Igoe — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 15:04:07 -0800

And you can still do this without disturbing the sanctioned art.

By: RobotHero

RobotHero — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 15:27:44 -0800

I kind of love the rhythm of the Flickr presentation that results from every photo being taken from the same position.

By: mattoxic

mattoxic — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 16:35:18 -0800

spontaneous, folk art tagging?

By: George_Spiggott

George_Spiggott — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 17:17:47 -0800

Yeah, it seems even art on trains has to happen on the state's terms. In a functioning democracy, mediating what may be done to public property is absolutely a reasonable and necessary function of the state. I don't want to live in a society where anyone can do whatever the hell they want to stuff that belongs to all of us.

By: HFSH

HFSH — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 08:45:53 -0800

phrontist: "Yeah, it seems even art on trains has to happen on the state's terms" Such a shame, missing out on all those hastily drawn penises.