Artwork: "The Commuter's Lament/A Close Shave" (Norman B. Colp)
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Artwork: "The Commuter's Lament/A Close Shave" (Norman B. Colp)

Location: 42nd Street/Port Authority Bus Terminal (IND 8th Avenue Line)
Installation Year: 1991
Notes:

This little poem, inspired by the famous Burma Shave ad campaign, was commissioned by the MTA arts program in the 1990s as a temporary installation, but it is still installed, in the transfer corridor from the IND 8th Avenue/42nd St. station to the Times Square subway station complex (7th Ave, Broadway, Flushing, and Shuttle stations). The lines actually appear mounted on the overhead I-beams, approximately every fifth beam. The photo here is a montage of the installation.

The artist wrote to us in November, 2006, about the installation: The work is incomplete, for the last panel (a 24"x36" B/W image of a slept-in bed) was removed for the station renovation last year. I do not have any info from Arts for Transit when it will be reinstalled. Also missing are wall labels at the beginning and end of the sequence which identifies the work as THE COMMUTER'S LAMENT or A CLOSE SHAVE. The second part of the title also refers to Burma Shave, a men's product (1930's to 60's approx) which was well known for series of signs, like my homage.

The New York Times recently reported that Mr. Colp passed away Aug. 28, 2007. It was noticed in 2011 that the final panel had been reinstalled.


(image 130451)
(88k, 1024x768)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IND 8th Avenue Line
Location: 42nd Street/Port Authority Bus Terminal
Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld
Date: 1/16/2012
Artwork: The Commuter's Lament/A Close Shave, Norman B. Colp, 1991
Notes: The final panel reinstalled.
Viewed (this week/total): 1 / 6702


(image 49636)
(186k, 602x930)
Country: United States
City: New York
System: New York City Transit
Line: IND 8th Avenue Line
Location: 42nd Street/Port Authority Bus Terminal
Photo by: Robbie Rosenfeld
Date: 4/30/2006
Artwork: The Commuter's Lament/A Close Shave, Norman B. Colp, 1991
Viewed (this week/total): 2 / 13430

     



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