The Subway Today

PAUL VANDECARR: In this, the final collage in the series, I cut up and reassembled George Tooker’s original 1950 painting into a nightmarish vision or version. I created this all on paper, without any digital editing. Like the one in Tooker’s painting, this subway station has no exits, but it does have hands and eyes reaching up and looking from beneath the surface of things. 

PAUL VANDECARR: In this collage, friends old and new -- including actors from Theatre of the Oppressed NYC -- play the roles of the people in the painting. While all the people in Tooker’s painting were white, the people in this collage reflect more of New York City’s diversity. See photos elsewhere on this Tumblr with statements from each of the people here about the state of the country when these photos were taken. 

PAUL VANDECARR: In this collage, figures from famous paintings and collages take the places of the people in George Tooker’s original 1950 painting, “The Subway.” In front, for example notice Frida Kahlo, a figure from a Romare Bearden collage, a horrified figure from Picasso’s Guernica, and, just to the viewer’s left of Frida, Saint Francis from Bellini’s painting at the Frick Collection. 

Many thanks to Steve Shohl for doing such an excellent job rendering the station, taking the photos, and creating the collage.

Many thanks to Steve Shohl for doing such an excellent job rendering the station, taking the photos, and creating the collage.

The painting is "The Subway,” by George Tooker (1950). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Purchase, with funds from the Juliana Force Purchase Award. http://collection.whitney.org/object/3052.

The painting is "The Subway,” by George Tooker (1950). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Purchase, with funds from the Juliana Force Purchase Award. http://collection.whitney.org/object/3052. 

Figure is from "The Subway,” by George Tooker (1950). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Purchase, with funds from the Juliana Force Purchase Award. http://collection.whitney.org/object/3052

Many thanks to Steve Shohl for doing such an excellent job rendering the station, taking the photos, and creating the collage. 

HANA: The United States was founded by immigrants and people fleeing religious persecution, and has long preached religious tolerance. Now is a worrisome time for anyone concerned about such tolerance. With everything that’s going on, it’s enough to drive your crazy. 

CARLA: As a Mexican-American, I go back and forth freely between the two countries. But most of my fellow Latin American citizens do not have the same freedom. Some have died in an attempt to find hope across the border. Mexico and the U.S. have exchanged people and goods and culture and more for centuries, sometimes through peaceful means, and sometimes in conflict. The idea of building an ‘impenetrable, physical, tall, powerful, beautiful’ wall will only lead to conflict. Yes, there’s a need for effective laws on immigration, but the wall would be harmful for both countries, affecting their populations, trade, economies, tourism, and even the natural environment.

KAYHAN: After a rally I was on the subway and an elderly White woman came into the car and stood in front of me. She stared down, hard, at my chest. I realized I was wearing a 'Love Trumps Hate' button and I felt my heartbeat speed up. Was I going to get told off by an old lady on the subway? Was I going to tell off an old lady on the subway? She looked back up at me, her brow furrowed, and gave me a big smile and thumbs up. I almost started crying. Has it really come to this? Am I guilty of it too?

NOAH: I’m grateful that more people are paying attention to issues that so many of us have been working on for so long. But ‘resist’ assumes someone else holds the power, blames instead of takes responsibility. I’m keeping focused on creating the kind of world I want to live in. This requires acting out of compassion and love, not anger and fear. Vilifying political opponents won’t liberate us. Loving them will.

AMANDA: What concerns me most is that we have an Executive branch that cannot see the value in protecting our Earth, and has the audacity to think that facts are something that they can choose whether to believe in. I fear that while I may be able to outlast Trump, our climate won’t be able to handle the actions taken now 

NIA: When the election results first came in, I thought, I’m in a doomed timeline. I expected these bigots to come for my education, my health, and my safety, and I’m prepared to fight for my rights. That’s the way the game of systematic oppression has always been played here. But while I’m grateful for their gross incompetence, their idiocy gets insulting. How is this real life?  

Left to right, Marcus, Jon, Maaji, Bill.

LETITIA (second from right, in background): I’ve never seen such a disorganized government in my life. Trump has both parties in an uproar over issues that affect us all. Medicare, borders, jobs, and having connections to Russia. We are in for a long, hard struggle. As if we aren’t struggling already.