faces of the city

New York City subway map, 1985,

ARTIST NOTE: The subway was my main source of transportation. I referred to it constantly. Pretty soon I started seeing faces in the map and from there developed drawings of each burrough.

o The natural land contours outline facial structures.

o Subway routes and streets define the facial features.

Look at the subway map and overlay at right. Can you see the faces of the city?

Alina Cruz

ORIGINAL DRAWINGS:

Mixed media (colored pencil, paper, presstype, glue) on arches paper. 1986

Clockwise from right:
Bronx 36" X 30"
Queens 30" X 36
Brooklyn 36" X 30
Manhattan 26" X 46"
(Manhattan detail appears below Brooklyn)

In 1986 the city of New York requested submissions from artists for a permanent installation in one of its subway stations. Alina Cruz submitted a version of Faces of the City to be constructed of multicolored ceramic tiles

Although her proposal was featured as a finalist in a show at Columbus Circle, the city finally decided to go with a gold wall.