Commenting on his work, artist Timothy Snell says, "The mosaic is composed of 40 'portholes' that depict scenes and historic sites of the neighborhood (Grace Church, Washington Arch, Cooper Union, Astor Place, the vista of Broadway). ... The loose gestural rendering and free use of color with simplified imagery injects a light moment in the hectic schedule of the commuter passing through the station... Spreading the elements around the station in an architectural format... integrates the artwork with the space... This provides moments of diversion at various locations for people waiting and small surprises for repeat travelers in transit through this station. The repeat of elements like the cyclist through a series of panels in a loose use of line and color was a device to add motion and allow more abstract considerations to enter into the work with the hook of recognizable subject matter."

Canadian-born artist Timothy Snell has been living and working in New York City since first relocating to study at the New York Studio School. Having studied in Toronto and Montreal before relocating to New York, Snell’s work is rooted in the long tradition of Canadian landscape painting which informs the artist’s cityscapes and abstract work.