Snowy weather provides optimal conditions for graffiti artists to get up and lots of them have been using the recent winter storms to do just that. But they’re not just hitting walls and roll-down gates. They’re painting the holy grail of graffiti: New York City subway cars. UPDATE: Another train was painted with a Spy vs. Spy theme.
That was the case at the East 180th Street station and train yard for the 2s and 5s in the Bronx last night. ANIMAL was tipped off that at least two trains had been tagged by the likes of SEN, ORUS and SHADE SNAQUE. The graffiti experts we spoke to said the style of the pieces were definitely not indigenous to the city, or good, and after some Internet sleuthing, we feel comfortable in reporting that they’re from Barcelona’s OTP crew.
These writers continue a long held tradition of coming to New York and painting a train just for the flick. Click through the gallery to see their handiwork, since it will likely be the only evidence it ever existed. The MTA instituted a strict policy of taking painted trains out of service and on May 12, 1989 issued a press release entitled: “A Shining Achievement: 100% Graffiti-Free.”
(Photos: Aymann Ismail/ANIMALNewYork)
