Governor Andrew M. Cuomo unveiled on December 19, 2016, the largest permanent public art installation in New York State history in conjunction with the grand opening of Phase I of the Second Avenue Subway, which marks the city’s first major expansion project in more than 50 years. The "underground museum" features works by various artists, including large-scale portraits by Chuck Close of cultural figures such as Philip Glass, Lou Reed, Kara Walker and Cindy Sherman.
[Photos] Artwork from New York City's Second Avenue Subway
Photo: Governor Andrew Cuomo/ Flickr
Photo: Governor Andrew Cuomo/ Flickr
Photo: Governor Andrew Cuomo/ Flickr
Photo: Governor Andrew Cuomo/ Flickr
Photo: Governor Andrew Cuomo/ Flickr
Photo: Governor Andrew Cuomo/ Flickr
The people portrayed in Chuck Close's work are cultural figures that have frequently been his subjects, including Philip Glass, Zhang Huan, Kara Walker, Alex Katz, Cecily Brown (pictured), Cindy Sherman, and Lou Reed, as well as two distinct self-portraits. Photo: Governor Andrew Cuomo/ Flickr
Portrait of artist Kara Walker by Chuck Close. Photo: Governor Andrew Cuomo/ Flickr
Each 96th Street entrance features a different shade of blue and a blueprint-style vector line design, a visual theme that is integrated with the architecture. Photo: Governor Andrew Cuomo/ Flickr
At 72nd Street, Vik Muniz’s installation, “Perfect Strangers” features more than three dozen characters created in mosaic and installed throughout the mezzanine and entrance areas, populating the station with colorful images of all types of New Yorkers. Photo: Governor Andrew Cuomo/ Flickr
Photo: Governor Andrew Cuomo/ Flickr
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo taking photo with project staff. Photo: Governor Andrew Cuomo/ Flickr
Photo: Governor Andrew Cuomo/ Flickr
At 63rd Street, Jean Shin’s installation, “Elevated” uses archival photographs of the 2nd and 3rd Avenue Elevated train. This view is filled with ceramic tile depicting construction beams and the cranes that dismantled the El in the 1940s. Photo: Governor Andrew Cuomo/ Flickr
A mosaic by Jean Shin reveals the sky where the train had previously been present, and features images of people from the 1940s in this neighborhood transformation. Photo: Governor Andrew Cuomo/ Flickr
At 86th Street, Chuck Close (self portrait shown) in “Subway Portraits” has created twelve large-scale works that are based on the artist’s painstakingly detailed photo-based portrait paintings. Photo: Governor Andrew Cuomo/ Flickr
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo talking with project staff in front of portrait of artist Cecily Brown by Chuck Close. Photo: Governor Andrew Cuomo/ Flickr
Portrait of Philip Glass by artist Chuck Close. Photo: Governor Andrew Cuomo/ Flickr
Portrait of musician Lou Reed by artist Chuck Close. Photo: Governor Andrew Cuomo/ Flickr
At 96th Street, “Blueprint for a Landscape” by Sarah Sze features nearly 4,300 unique porcelain wall tiles, spanning approximately 14,000 square feet. Photo: Governor Andrew Cuomo/ Flickr
Photo: Governor Andrew Cuomo/ Flickr