1. Home
  2. Agencies and Departments
  3. MTA Arts & Design
  4. Commuting/Community

Commuting/Community

Woodside-61 St (7)

Commuting/Community

John Cavanagh
Photo of John Cavanagh porcelain enamel artwork installed on station wall.
“Commuting/Community” (1986) by John Cavanagh at Woodside-61 St. Photo: MTA Arts & Design

About the project

"Commuting/Community" reflects John Cavanagh's impressions of Woodside, a Queens neighborhood where railroad and subway lines intersect. The two photo-montage murals are related to one another in revealing the daily life of Woodside's residents. Both murals spell out "Woodside" using letters based on neighborhood sites. The murals reflect the contrasts present in this city neighborhood, from the rushing train overhead to the pleasant street life below. In another scene, the artist juxtaposes children playing in the park with adults commuting into the city. The portrayal of the community is offered to Woodside, in Cavanagh's words, "to provoke, stimulate, console, strengthen, and enjoy."

About the artist

John Cavanagh studied photography with Charles Harbutt and Ralph Gibson at the International Center of Photography in New York under a Joseph Ehrenreich Scholarship. During his time in New York, he worked for five years as a photo-editor and researcher at Magnum Photos, was a staff photographer at the Soho News and worked as a photo-editor at Sygma-Garnrna Liaison. He currently lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.