Wild Things (2024) © Fred Tomaselli, NYC Transit 14 St Station Complex. Commissioned by MTA Arts & Design. (Photo: Trent Reeves)
When the New York City subway first opened in 1904, its founders declared the system a “great public work,” one that not only offered an efficient mode of transportation but an opportunity to indulge in beautiful ornamentation. Since 1985, MTA Arts & Design has furthered this ambition, commissioning stunning artworks that decorate subway stations across New York. Wild Things by Brooklyn-based artist Fred Tomaselli is the MTA’s newest permanent installation, and is inspired by Tomaselli’s enduring passion for birding.
Wild Things, a suite of six mosaics, is installed throughout the 14th Street Station Complex connecting the 14 St-7 Av and 14 St-6 Av stations in Manhattan. The mosaics primarily focus on birds found in New York year-round, ranging from cardinals and woodpeckers to falcons and owls. Through Tomaselli’s playful style, these birds transform into vibrant, intricate monuments, soaring across station walls in explosive shades and decadent patterns.
Tomaselli’s artistic practice draws upon Eastern and Western decorative traditions, and often revolves around multi-media and organic depictions of naturalistic scenes. Wild Things serves as Tomaselli’s first mosaic project, and brings his signature approach to color and texture underground. The mosaics feature custom-made buttons, printed glass, and traditional smalti, perfectly capturing Tomaselli’s expertise in collaged compositions.
“I wanted to bring some of the nature of New York City, which lives above the subway, down into the underground,” Tomaselli said in a statement. “The sky, plants, earth, and some resident birds of New York all get a place in this six-part work.”
Wild Things adds more than 680 square feet of mosaic to the 14th Street Station Complex, and invites even the most hurried rider to enjoy these vivid artworks and the nature they depict.
To explore more of his stunning artworks, you can follow Fred Tomaselli on Instagram. Check out MTA Arts & Design’s website for more information about their public installations as well.
Brooklyn-based artist Fred Tomaselli’s first mosaic project, Wild Things, can be viewed in the 14th Street Station Complex in Manhattan.
Wild Things (2024) © Fred Tomaselli, NYC Transit 14 St Station Complex. Commissioned by MTA Arts & Design. (Photo: Trent Reeves)
Wild Things by Fred Tomaselli incorporates custom-made buttons, printed glass, and traditional smalti, perfectly capturing the artist’s expertise in collaged compositions.
Wild Things (2024) © Fred Tomaselli, NYC Transit 14 St Station Complex. Commissioned by MTA Arts & Design. (Photo: Trent Reeves)
The mosaics primarily focus on birds found year-round in New York, and reimagines them through vibrant colors, intricate patterns, and stunning materials.
Wild Things (2024) © Fred Tomaselli, NYC Transit 14 St Station Complex. Commissioned by MTA Arts & Design. (Photo: Trent Reeves)
Wild Things (2024) © Fred Tomaselli, NYC Transit 14 St Station Complex. Commissioned by MTA Arts & Design. (Photo: Trent Reeves)
Wild Things (2024) © Fred Tomaselli, NYC Transit 14 St Station Complex. Commissioned by MTA Arts & Design. (Photo: Trent Reeves)
The installations also feature murals depicting other natural scenes, such as a blue sky full of abstract clouds and the red petals of a dahlia.
Wild Things (2024) © Fred Tomaselli, NYC Transit 14 St Station Complex. Commissioned by MTA Arts & Design. (Photo: Trent Reeves)
Wild Things (2024) © Fred Tomaselli, NYC Transit 14 St Station Complex. Commissioned by MTA Arts & Design. (Photo: Trent Reeves)