Archival print, acrylic on primed tri-wall cardboard
The “Train Graffiti” series is the results of close-up views of train cars stored near where I have lived in Lane County. In 2016, living in Mapleton, Oregon, I noticed the graffiti-covered train car layover area on my walks and bike commutes. When I went up close for a look, those giant sprayed custom letterforms seen from afar disappeared into colorful abstraction. I began taking digital photographs. It felt as though I was standing in front of early abstract expressionist painting. The layering of artist's work and train staff signage activity, one over another, then Mother Nature's aging and wear, melded into a unique visual experience that I thought people should get a chance to see. On top of the above artwork are smaller scale, line-work tagging personal cartooning graffiti and written conveyances of all kinds from traditional graffiti artists resembling the famous Bozo Texino.
The Springfield/Eugene area offers prime viewing for freight trains in the Pacific Northwest. Part photo documentation, part artist contribution, the exhibit explores the multi-layered process of graffiti creation by artists, railroad staff and Mother Nature. Sandy adds his own layer of visual art through painted or collaged contributions within a variety of unique documentary art objects.
