Passion by Zephyr 1981

This photograph, by Henry Chalfant, captures Zephyr’s artwork on a New York City subway car, and it’s all about energy and process. The colors explode, a riot of blues, reds, and yellows fighting for space, a total free for all. The paint drips, splatters, and oozes, each mark a testament to the physicality of the act. Look at that broken heart, right there in the center. The deep red and the jagged crack are a gut punch, but then you see how it’s surrounded by those cartoonish, bubbly letters, and the mood shifts. It’s like the artist is saying, "Yeah, life can break your heart, but you gotta keep playing, keep making, keep moving." It reminds me of Basquiat, you know? That same raw, untamed energy, that refusal to be boxed in. Art isn’t just about pretty pictures, it's about life, struggle, and the messy, beautiful process of trying to make sense of it all.