New York subway stations have a bad rap for being dirty, making it easy to overlook the beautiful station signs. In an effort to acknowledge these artful mosaics, freelance art director and designer Adam Chang created the NY Train Project.
These station signs are made up of intricately arranged tiles, often in a mosaic style, that uniquely reflect the neighborhoods they reside in. This photography based project involved 20 hours of riding and waiting for trains in the New York City public transit system, where Chang managed to cover 118 stations with nine subway swipes.
This ode to signage is a reminder to take in the beauty all around you and that there is good all around us, even if you have to squint to see it.
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Subway Signage Appreciation
- As more people seek to appreciate the artful mosaics of subway signage, new opportunities arise for artists to collaborate with public transport companies and local governments to create more visually appealing stations.
- Photography-based Projects
- As the NY Train Project highlights the beauty of subway signage photography-based projects, new opportunities arise for photographers to showcase the beauty of public spaces and locations to the world.
- Mosaic Artwork Resurgence
- As subway signage mosaics gain popularity, new opportunities arise for artists to explore unique, culturally significant mosaic artwork to adorn public and private spaces.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Public Transportation
- Public transport companies can collaborate with artists and designers to create more visually appealing, branded, and culturally significant station signage to enhance the public transit experience and boost ridership.
- Photography and Events
- Photographers can partner with local governments, public and private organizations to showcase the beauty of public spaces and locations while providing artistic contributions to events that celebrate local communities.
- Art and Design
- The resurgence of mosaic artwork provides a new avenue for artists and designers to create culturally significant artwork as public installations, custom commissions, and design components for interior and exterior decor.
