COMET "Untitled" Trains of Thought
COMET – "Untitled” Trains of Thought. 2011. Markers over Giclee train on art paper. Size approx 36″ × 9″.
JOHN "COMET" RUSSO BEGAN PAINTING SUBWAY TRAINS AS A VERY YOUNG BOY, JUST LIKE MOST GRAFFITI WRITERS. WHAT WAS DIFFERENT ABOUT HIM WAS HE STARTED WRITING BACK IN 1971 AND AT THAT TIME GRAFFITI WAS IN THE BEGINNING STAGES.
COMET, ALONG WITH OTHERS, PAVED THE WAY FOR NEW WRITERS OF THAT ERA AND GAVE THE GRAFFITI COMMUNITY A SOLID FOUNDATION TO BUILD ON. DURING HIS RUN PAINTING THE TRAINS, HE HAD 4 VERY ARTISTIC PARTNERS "SILVER TIPS", "BILLY 167", "CLIFF 159" AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST "BLADE 1".
COMET & BLADE TOOK OVER THE #2 AND #5 TRAIN LINES BACK IN 1974 (YES 1974). THEY BECAME THE KINGS AND THAT REIGN LASTED FOR 7 YEARS TO 1981. NO OTHER WRITER EVER HELD THESE TRAIN LINES THAT LONG. THEY WERE TRUE KINGS. THEY PAINTED MANY, MANY TRAINS. COMET CONSIDERED HIMSELF THE DRIVING FORCE AND CONSTANTLY PUSHED HIS PARTNER TO DO MORE.
NOW, AT THE OF AGE OF 50 , COMET RETURNED TO HIS PASSION ONCE AGAIN BUT INSTEAD OF PAINTING SUBWAY TRAINS HE TURNED TO THE CANVAS, TO START MY NEW BATTLE ABOVE GROUND.