Subway-Color-Archive: On the Ground
March/April 2024
This bulletin is once again belated like a train stalled at rush hour. These past two months, I have been getting the S-C-A out into the world and adjusting the parts in motion as recommendations, considerations, and opportunities roll in. Recently, I have been overwhelmed by the build-up of feedback from this project; this is a kind of energy- a sign that things are moving.¹
Finals and (New) Foundations
The end of April marked the start of finals for thousands of students in academia. I am always interested in the next generation of thinkers versus well-publicized practitioners and theorists who have had time to establish (and re-establish) their platforms. This year, I was encouraged by projects that embraced a personal sense of intuition through observation. An increasing fearlessness has been building up, particularly in research-driven programs; students desire a broader yet comprehensive level of representation in programs that have previously weighed heavily on Eurocentric curriculums. Challenging a system from the inside is an extraordinary power that students hold, one that they aren’t always aware of and can require incredible confidence and bravery. I admire those who push themselves through their projects and actions to bring their identities to the table. One can only hope that an increasing number of tables are becoming occupiable, hospitable, curious, and perceptive. I will always support efforts and try to listen to students who sacrifice the structure of their education to build a new one.
A big thank you to the educators who extended invitations to their finals and trusted my commentary — the sense of optimism gained significantly outweighs whatever I said. I hope students today retain their ambition for a more incredible world despite the slow-moving and archaic aspects of architecturally oriented professions; it certainly is time to force further open the bottlenecks of change. I still feel this across many institutional administrations and we undoubtedly see the result of that build-up nationwide. Those in positions of power must understand the importance of perpetually sitting with and facing their discomfort(s). Though excruciatingly slow, shifts are happening, and recent grads can and should reflect curriculum adjustments in the coming years. This subway project has been partly made possible by trickle-down/ across/ up of academic and theoretical adjustments of the past five-ish years. ²
Representation and (Re)production
At times, taking a stance on various broken systems drives this investigation. There have been few clear precedents, just occasional guiding lights and cautious admiration for trailblazers who used NYC as much as they gave back to it. The first S-C-A bulletin spoke briefly on Keith Haring and the memory of his drawings versus their current representation in digital media and popular culture. An NYTimes article, printed on April 19th, “Keith Haring’s Legacy Is Not Found at the Museum,” digs into this further and reminds me why counter-capitalism is essential and worth pursuing, more so, how a counterforce or commentary on consumer culture can dance the fine line of capitalist-driven gain.³ Critic Max Lakin writes,
“What Haring took most from graffiti was the goal of maximum exposure, which he recognized as social engagement. (Gooch quotes Tony Shafrazi, Haring’s dealer, who recalled Haring’s habit of giving small drawings away as “a natural part of the way he worked.”) In an essay for Documenta 7, in 1982, in which his work appeared alongside that of contemporaries like Donald Judd, Richard Serra, and Cy Twombly, Haring writes: ‘My contribution to the world is my ability to draw. I will draw as much as I can for as many people for as long as I can.’”
I cannot help but feel a little emotional reading that last line, not just because, as spectators of his life, we have experienced his work in a way he could not perceive… but also because it is a sentiment that looms over and around this subway archive as the end of the inaugural year creeps closer.
As noted in previous bulletins, NYC and its occupants fuel this project; the time I invest builds a slightly larger form for other things to grow from. I will continue working on the Subway-Color-Archive past August 31st, the end of the 2023 Architecture + Design Independent Projects program year, and will persist for as long as possible. Ultimately, the goal is to hand this endeavor to a new generation who can continue to adjust the archive to changing times and interests. Regardless of the long-term objective, what is certain are this project’s physical bits and parts (from this year) that will remain: little reflections of the underground surfacing and latching onto everyday objects. Over the past seven months, at least 600 subway fragments have already proliferated into the world. Manifesting through stickers (some in the folds of notebooks, others more temporary - on crosswalk posts and bar bathrooms), keychains on pencil cases, magnets on refrigerators, and tangible content for other emerging NY-based archives.
I had a productive conversation upon handing some of the (new) S-C-A promo fragments to an architecture friend, who expressed slight sadness over the realization that many people do not always respect or covet the things you give them. You may find that what means something to you, like a small drawing made to giveaway, may end up scuffed up by boots on the sidewalk. I used to find grief in this, too but found upon looking through a broader lens that this happens at various scales to everyone and, at greater frequency, the more you disseminate. It hurts more when an object is physical and the effects of “rejection” are visible to a public audience vs. some digital environments, which allow quiet dismissal. I might argue that the people who overlook or reject small-scale promotion also gravitate towards large-scale consumer culture. To each their own. Haring’s inclination towards excess as promotion to counterforce corporate influence and (over)production speaks to human desire, which fluctuates over time and is inevitably tied to the repetition of corporate/ institutional ideologies.
Because of this observation, I detach myself from the objects given away and have made sure they are not too materially precious. The best-case scenario is always: if a button is left on a park bench, it’s for another person to find. Likewise, a button that goes straight into the trash out of spite is just bad karma! While the Pop Shop is no longer open, its history and objective remain worth revisiting and pursuing. If rent in the city magically decreases, we’d undoubtedly see more self- or collectively initiated storefronts pushing different interests and agendas. I can only hope that the S-C-A newsstand is a runoff or distant relative of the Pop Shop. ⁴
^ Contribute a memory to receive ^
Updated Interfaces
On the tangent of adjustment and rebuilding, sometimes you must take a small step backward to propel further. As I complete station surveys and continue to dissect collected column paint chips (five of 31 left to go!), there has been an increasing need to reconfigure the S-C-A website to accommodate a greater breadth of visual information. Vast digital landscapes can be intimidating for a non-web developer; the possibilities are endless yet limited to the aspect ratios of the screens we interact with. I extend gratitude to Seth/A Lot of Moving Parts for helping me brainstorm immediate changes to the digital interface; sometimes, you need a keen outside set of senses to understand what needs to change. The 8th Avenue column color study concludes in August, and simultaneously, a new phase or archival evaluation will commence. The clarity of the work undertaken is a priority, which requires a massive amount of sifting through material and editing down to the primary elements needed to represent a story/scenario. A reflection of this reorganization will manifest in more comprehensive, long-term changes to the website. The digital platform is a potential subject for future bulletins.
The most significant addition to the site is a station matrix with click-through overlays. These overlays appear when paint chips undergo preliminary dissection and will incorporate further information and visual material in the next few months.
Tangible Interfaces — in progress
A key output from the start of this project was the creation of archive-inspired print memorabilia and color reconstruction references in a publicly accessible format. Without getting deep into specifics, the 8th Avenue column research will translate to printed forms of representation and begin distribution in late August/early September. There will be varying levels of material quality to accommodate different distribution channels: the mailer is FREE, and archival-quality prints will be available through the website and by request. This year’s printed output will prioritize a poster+ abridged booklet; both aim to serve as tools/vessels for color reconstruction. There will be other modes of receiving tangible outputs of the 2023–4 S-C-A research; upcoming bulletins will touch on this further as some moving parts become definitive.
This said, ideas are in motion. I want to thank Mike Tully for his help so far — E.g., narrowing down graphic references, which are inevitably precedents in researching and representing color. Perhaps it is because of a Yale overlap that there is a gravitation towards Interaction of Color by Josef Albers. I should note that the investigation in this book is a culmination of long-term research and studio work by Albers’ students. I appreciate how he describes looking through a lens of color as a perpetual investigation that requires the sensitivities of many eyes and various senses. I hope not to get in trouble for adding the following text; it feels incredibly potent to anyone interested in color juxtaposition and points to the engrained elements of research that the Subway-Color-Archive utilizes:
“In musical compositions, so long as we hear merely single tones, we do not hear music. Hearing music depends on the recognition of the in-between of the tones, of their placing and of their spacing. In writing, a knowledge of spelling has nothing to do with an understanding of poetry.
Equally, a factual identification of colors within a given painting has nothing to do with a sensitive seeing nor an understanding of the color action. Our study of color differs fundamentally from a study which anatomically dissects colorants (pigments) and physical qualities (wave length).
Our concern is the interaction of color; that is, seeing what happens between colors. We are able to hear a single tone. But we almost never (that is, without special devices) see a single color unconnected and unrelated to other colors. Colors present themselves in continuous flux, constantly related to changing neighbors and changing conditions.
As a consequence, this proves for the reading of color what Kandinsky often demanded for the reading of art: what counts is not the what but the how.”
For the S-C-A, the “how” is, in part, the need for persistent maintenance caused by perpetual movement. The visible colors painted onto columns are sometimes just as important as the reasons for their chromatic shift. Unrolling each column paint chip to view colors alongside each other presents an opportunity to experience shifts that inevitably occur over time through sensory devices and intuitive emotions. The printed forms of the 8th Avenue line research hope to explore this further and will develop with the findings of Interaction of Color in mind.
Lastly, on the topic of printed material, Contemporary Art Underground: MTA Arts & Design New York was released last month. The subway system, in so many respects, is ‘New York’s 24-hour Underground Art Museum.’ This book covers commissioned work from 2015–2023. Shout out to Haresh Lalvani on pg. 234, a formative professor in my undergrad years; he has shown unwavering positivity towards this project, which I appreciate. At the book launch, I had the fortune of meeting more of the artists who have made a mark on the system and the commutes of thousands of people. Unlike some celebrities that plaster the media outlets we consume, these artists walk among us, unassumingly alongside their work, which is a beautiful thing about NYC; constructed spaces are the culmination of many minds, and the vast human-conceived amalgamation that defines the subway system can humble a single person…
More soon/ the next bulletin will be shorter!
The 2023–24 route is supported by the 2023 Architecture + Design Independent Projects program, a grant partnership of the New York State Council on the Arts and The Architectural League of New York. Independent Project grants are made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State legislature.
This project is not monitored by or affiliated with the MTA.
A study of 8th Avenue will hopefully build the framework for future chroma investigations that branch into other boroughs and neighborhoods — pending additional funding.
Questions, comments, thoughts? Please send them to subway.color.archive@gmail.com
¹ April 2nd, the NYTimes published “Orange Steam Funnels Are a New York Symbol. What Are They For?” Though speaking of steam infrastructures, this piece is a relative of the layered columns highlighted by the S-C-A. The build-up of steam underground mirrors the necessity of writing these bulletins. If thoughts linger for too long without controlled release, their paths will opt toward unchecked leakage.
² These moves from the inside have the potential to ignite long-term change. I attribute the origins of this project, Wet Paint, to a runoff of extensive administrative changes in the Yale School of Architecture: new (female) Dean -> new/ adjusted faculty -> new courses.
³ As noted in the article, Keith’s work was and is commodified by forces beyond himself and what he set out to do. This commodification mirrors some themes discussed in a “Dark Side of the 90s” episode on SubPop Records and their absorption into mainstream music.
⁴ Jesus Saves also embodies a similar counter-culture of on-the-ground/ tangible promotion.
