Until now, we probably wouldn’t have ever described the New York City subway as a realm of imagination and wonderment. Sure, we see plenty every day that makes us stop, stare, and then walk away muttering, “What the blue f*** was that, I don’t even…?” Let’s just say, with the exceptions of the charming buskers and the odd random encounter with someone’s weirdly compelling performance art, it’s usually further removed from the “Where The Wild Things Are” side of enchanting strangeness and sometimes further toward “My eyes! The goggles do nothing!”
One day, along came Ben Rubin. You’d never know him from Adam, were you to rub elbows, shoulders, and thanks-but-we’d-really-rather-not-know-what-else with him during a typical daily commute. Actually, come to think of it, you just might: if you should spot a fellow casually snapping pictures and obsessively doodling on an iPad, that might be Ben. His ongoing Subway Doodle series on Facebook and Instagram takes otherwise unremarkable stills – a number of them featuring unsuspecting sleeping subway riders who were probably none the wiser by the time his work was finished – and inserts a variety of surreal, abstract, and even downright lovable characters.
Enjoy these few favorites of ours, but don’t settle for a sampling. Rubin has unveiled literally hundreds of pieces available to browse right now. Trust us, they are well-worth a lengthy tour.
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