KT-3 Krome 1977

Henry Chalfant made this photograph of a subway car, KT-3 Krome, using film – you know, that physical stuff that captures light. What strikes me first is the confidence in the application of paint. Look at those broad strokes, that dripping, that sense of claiming space! It’s not about perfection, right? It’s about presence, it's about process. I think about the sheer physicality of spray painting a subway car. The rhythm, the hiss of the can, the reach. You can almost hear it, can't you? The colour palette is really intriguing too – there is a playful mix of lavender, gold, pink and blue. If you zoom in, you can almost see the texture of the wall beneath, where the metal hasn’t been fully covered, little bits of the real world peeking through. This to me makes the piece, as a whole, less about pure expression, and more about being there. Chalfant's work reminds me a little of photographers like William Eggleston. There is a shared interest in the vernacular, and in capturing something essentially American, capturing the pulse of life as it's lived. Art thrives on these kinds of conversations.