Graffiti writers equipped with mountain climbing gear and spray paint, rappelled down the iconic Hell Gate Bridge like a well-trained SWAT team, and unleashed a torrent of public art on the span’s massive stone towers. Under the cover of darkness, the daredevil-artists risked it all, as they dangled about eight stories above the ground—at the highest point—and skillfully created large scale, vibrant pieces, in a blockbuster spot, all while managing not to die.
Photo: Bucky Turco/ANIMALNewYork
Names like RAMS, DZEL, PEAK, and DISTO were neatly positioned on the bridge’s west tower, while EXL and WERDS claimed the east tower, across the river. The epic collaboration by writers known for putting in work, can clearly be seen from a distance and is more conspicuous than some of the more typical stuff the public associates with graffiti, due to its uniquely vertical orientation, a hallmark of the rappel-style lettering that’s changing the face of urban landscapes everywhere, especially here in NYC, where the audacious and somewhat dangerous technique continues to produce some pretty incredible pieces in some of the most surprising locations.
Photo: Bucky Turco/ANIMALNewYork
The Hell Gate Bridge, a brooding steel arch stretching across the East River, is the goth cousin of New York’s better-known spans. Its name is a nod to the dangerous waters below Completed in 1916, the structure was once the longest steel arch bridge in the world and a vital rail link connecting New England with the rest of the country. Today it’s mostly used by Amtrak, freight trains and urban explorers.
