Subway Drawing 1982

This is 'Subway Drawing', made by William Anastasi on April 15th 1982, and looks like it was made with graphite on paper. The drawing is a fascinating record of a journey. Anastasi held the graphite in his hand whilst on the subway, letting the movement of the train dictate the marks. The texture is created by these dense clusters of lines, almost like a seismograph of the train's motion. The top half of the paper is quite busy with lines going every which way, whilst the bottom half is empty, creating this interesting negative space which invites us to reflect on the relationship between control and chance in artmaking. I'm reminded of the automatic drawings of the Surrealists, who sought to unlock the power of the subconscious through spontaneous mark-making. Anastasi takes this idea and runs with it, literally, handing over the reins to the rhythm of the city. It makes you wonder, doesn't it, about the hidden symphonies all around us, waiting to be translated into art?