Tempted By The Tracks
Why Trains Captivate Creatives
As an artist, I can’t help but notice how my physical work space impacts my art. When my studio was near a plant nursery, my work frequently incorporated organic shapes; when I moved to a large quonset hut in a more industrial area, the work became larger and bolder; and when the pandemic forced me to stay in my small home studio, the work was smaller, tighter and made from tiny pieces of print materials.
I recently took a new art studio space at Thornton Road Studios in South Austin near the intersection of South Lamar and Oltorf. One of the few remaining “old Austin” destinations, these workspaces have been home for an eclectic mix of artists, musicians and makers for over 30 years. I love the vibe here, a regular cacophony of guitar riffs, band saws and train whistles. Indeed, part of my daily routine is feeling the train vibrations, listening to the whistle, and from time to time getting stuck behind the crossing gate, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that my own work has definitely been inspired by my daily encounters with trains.
Railroad tracks have an intangible aura that provide fertile ground for art studios. Yes, the space tends to be cheap, but there is something about the rhythmic sound of trains passing that provides a soothing backdrop, while the occasional freight car rattling by can add an unexpected dose of energy. But why are artists so captivated by trains?
Why Artists Are Inspired By Trains
Trains, the mighty metal beasts that have been chugging across the landscape since the Industrial Revolution, have long fascinated artists of all genres. From painters to poets, photographers to filmmakers, there's something about trains that inspires creativity and ignites the imagination. But why are trains so irresistible to artists?
Perhaps it is the movement. Trains are always in motion, hurtling forward with a speed and power that can be downright exhilarating. Whether it's the blur of scenery outside the window or the clanging and chugging of the engine, the movement of a train is a feast for the senses. Artists of all genres feel the pull of this kinetic energy.
Then there's the industrial aesthetic of trains. There's something undeniably cool about the angular shapes of train tracks, the sleek metallic surfaces of train cars, and the edgy scrawl of graffiti. From a visual standpoint, trains are a treasure trove of intriguing shapes, textures, and patterns, begging to be captured on canvas or film.
Of course, there's also the sense of adventure that comes with trains. Trains have historically been a symbol of escape and exploration, whether it's the romanticized idea of the hobo riding the rails or the luxury of early 20th-century train travel. For artists looking to evoke a sense of wanderlust and freedom, trains are the perfect vehicle (pun intended).
Perhaps as compelling, trains have long played a vital role in shaping society and history, from the expansion of trade and industry to the movement of people and ideas across vast distances. As such, trains carry a deep cultural and historical significance, making them a rich subject for artists exploring themes of power, progress, sorrow, hope, and human connection.
Trains in Art
Trains references have permeated virtually all art forms for centuries. In the visual art world, the introduction of the locomotive inspired English Romantics, French Impressionists, Italian Futurists and Belgian Surrealists. Although many traditional painters were initially appalled by the dirt, smoke and grime of trains, a new generation of painters born and raised in the Steam Age were inspired, including French Impressionists Camille Pissarro and Paul Cézanne to Surrealists Paul Delvaux and René Magritte. As French writer Émile Zola observed,
“Artists have to find poetry in train stations the way their fathers found poetry in forests and rivers.”
Photography proved to be a perfect medium to capture the smoke, steel and power of trains, as well as the people who work and travel on them. Indeed, there are curated art centers, such as the Center for Railroad Photography & Art in Wisconsin, who are passionately committed to telling railroading’s stories through photographic imagery.
Train cars and parts have inspired sculptors, including modern art icon Jeff Koons. In Jim Beam — J.B. Turner Train, Koons was inspired by an actual Jim Beam decanter made in the shape of a model train that Koons cast in stainless steel, with each of the seven train cars holding a fifth of bourbon. With Train Koons sought to highlight the discord between the marketing of alcohol as a luxury product and the often destructive, ugly, and unintended effects of drinking to excess.
Train references in music are far too numerous to list. Think “City of New Orleans” (Arlo Guthrie), “Downbound Train” (Bruce Springsteen), “Folsom Prison Blues” and “Hey Porter” (Johnny Cash), “Long Train Running” (Doobie Brothers), “Last Train to Clarksville” (The Monkees), “Midnight Train to Georgia” (Gladys Knight & The Pips), “Peace Train” (Cat Stevens), “Crazy Train” (Ozzy Osbourne), “Train in Vain” (The Clash), “Love Train” (The OJs)…literally, the list could fill pages.
One great example of trains overlapping the visual art and music genres comes from Nobel laureate Bob Dylan. Dylan not only has volumes of songs about trains (“Slow Train” among many others), but he has also created sculpture about trains including Rail Car, a metal sculpture that sits on railroad tracks at Château La Coste vineyards in Provence. As Dylan wrote in his memoir, Chronicles: Volume One:
“I’d seen and heard trains from my earliest childhood days and the sight and sound of them always made me feel secure. The big boxcars, the iron ore cars, freight cars, passenger trains, Pullman cars. There was no place you could go in my home town without at least some part of the day having to stop at intersections and wait for the long trains to pass.”
My Own Crazy Train
For me, the allure of trains is two-fold: I love the possibility of adventure and the freedom trains embody and I adore the printed paraphernalia used to document the activities of people working on or traveling by train. My artwork is made from layers of outdated print materials like manuals, diaries and ledgers that reveal the hopes, desires, needs and wants of our daily lives. Frequently, these print materials and the actives they document have become obsolete or replaced by technology.
Train timetables, engineer and conductor safety manuals, and maps, for example, all uniquely capture the routines and rhythms of train travel. I try to capture that sense of adventure by deconstructing these materials and transforming them into vibrant, abstract tapestries.
I was recently inspired by a story shared by one of my collectors who recalled regularly watching the train go by his house with his brother, eagerly anticipating the conductor’s pulling the whistle to acknowledge their presence. One day, the engineer stopped the train and allowed the boys to come on board, traveling to the next stop. Seriously, can you imagine how thrilling that would be to anyone let alone for a 9-year-old boy?!? That kind of experience is the stuff of Spielberg movies!
The allure of trains for artists is a multi-faceted affair, drawing on their unique aesthetic, cultural significance, and the emotional and imaginative associations they evoke. Whether it's the thrill of motion or the sense of adventure, there's something undeniably compelling about these mighty machines that continues to inspire artists, including this one.