The faceted glass installation, Allerton Mandalas, is based on the MTA subway map. The word "mandala" is from the classical Indian language of Sanskrit.  Loosely translated it means "circle."  Working with the layouts for the 2 and 5 red and green lines as they run from the Bronx through Manhattan to Brooklyn, the four Mandalas that artist Michele Brody created, were derived from layering, twisting and turning the outlines of green and red into a series of intertwining radiating patterns.  The artist generated these Mandalas with the desire to coat the train platform with a central abstract image of color, light and form.

From up close, or afar, each Mandala is meant to at first dazzle the viewer with color and light, then upon closer inspection, reveal a central structure inspired by the mark of subway lines themselves. This glasswork, which is full of movement that reflects the motion of a subway train, captivates the viewer’s attention with interlocking streams of colors.  Fabricated into 20 panels that are installed on the subway platform, they can be viewed from inside as well as outside the station. Their meanings are open to interpretation, and are meant as a form of meditation for the passing public and subway riders.


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