Photograph: Rob Wilson
Photograph: Rob Wilson

“Masstransiscope” (1980; Restored 2008), ©Bill Brand, DeKalb Avenue Subway Station. Commissioned and owned by Metropolitan Transportation Authority Arts for Transit.

Bill Brand’s trippy “Masstransciscope” was installed in 1980 in the now-abandoned Myrtle Ave station on the B and Q lines. It was restored in 2008, and is now visible from Manhattan–bound express trains as they leave the DeKalb Ave platform. Based on a zoetrope (a 19th-century optical toy), the piece consists of 228 panels that create a moving picture visible from the passing train. B, Q to DeKalb Ave

Top ten: MTA subway art

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The MTA Arts for Transit program has been commissioning public art for more than 25 years, recruiting big names (Roy Lichtenstein, Nancy Spero) as well as emerging artists. Currently, there are artworks in more than 225 subway stations around the city, with another 70 pieces in progress. Here are ten of our favorites to look out for. If you want more, download the free Arts for Transit app for your iOS or Android phone, which has a searchable directory of artworks along with directions, photos and podcasts.
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