Blade 1980

This is "Blade," a photograph by Henry Chalfant, of a graffiti piece painted on a subway car. Look at the way these colours bleed, how they create shape from the inside out. It’s all about the gesture, that flick of the wrist with the spray can, the intuitive movement that makes each letter explode with its own kind of energy. Check out how Chalfant captures the raw, visceral quality of the original graffiti. The texture of the subway car's metal surface, the drips and splatters of paint – all these material aspects give the work a real sense of place and time. My eye keeps getting drawn to the little robot like characters on the right, they are like a Greek chorus commenting on this epic artwork. This piece totally relates to the experimental spirit you see in graffiti and street art today. Think of someone like Keith Haring, who also blurred the lines between high and low art, using public spaces as a canvas for bold, graphic statements. It’s a reminder that art is always evolving, always in conversation with itself.