Draft:PRAY
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PRAY is a meme that began appearing in New York City in the early 1970s as the word "PRAY," in type set horizontally and often vertically.
It was most commonly rendered in sgraffiti or scratch graffiti, although earlier instances appeared in magic marker. Its origin and range are debated, but the capital letters P-R-A-Y in distinctive angular lettering could at one point be found on most subway columns, pay phones, doorways and windows in New York City.[1][2]
Other messages also attributed to the same individual feature religious statements or exhortations such as "WORSHIP GOD" "GO TO CHURCH" and "READ BIBLE."[3]
Materials and Methods[edit]
The tool used for etching the surfaces is not definitive, but eyewitnesses have variously described a screw, a drill bit, and an auger.[4] Articles and references about the messages began appearing in the early 1970s.[5]
History[edit]
In April of 1973, the first known media reference appeared in a column written by New York Times Theater critic Brooks Atkinson, referencing graffiti observed on new construction in the Kips Bay section of Manhattan: "I should report the graffiti on the fence surrounding an excavation at third Avenue and 29th Street: "Look for God," "Pray, always," "Go to church," "Read Bible."[6]
The first known mention of its appearance on payphones appeared in the New York Post in November of 1978: "someone has scratched the words 'Pray' and 'Worship God' onto almost all of the New York Telephone Company's public phones."[7]
And in 1983 The Wall Street Journal, September 8 about the state of phone booths and payphones in NYC and beyond. The article includes comments from James Horris, a New York Telephone employee who, in expressing his misgivings about the content of the etchings, believed they were all the work of one person.[8]
In 1989 Spy magazine published a feature article surveying PRAY graffiti in Manhattan and including what they referred to as a "control sample," which counted 81 instances of the sgraffiti on the north side of E 69th Street between Lexington and Third Avenues.[9]
Media References[edit]
The 1973 movie Serpico captures two incidental inscriptions in marker seen on a vending machine on the platform of the 57th Street subway stop: "WITH CHRIST LOVE JOY PEACE FOREVER" and "GOD WANTS YOU IN CHURCH OFTEN"
John Sayles 1983 movie "Brother From Another Planet" has a scene featuring PRAY sgraffiti on a 42nd Street subway sign.
Artists Al Diaz and Jean Michel Basquiat collaborated on their 1980's SAMO© graffiti campaign in lower Manhattan that Diaz claims was inspired in part by the PRAY graffiti: "There was a famous graffiti artist that always wrote, "Pray"... and all these kind of religious things, and I thought we could go about it in that style. We just kept elaborating on it. In a couple of weeks, it was like 'SAMO© AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO GOD'."[10]
Possible Subjects
Intent[edit]
The sgraffiti is generally believed to be a call for spiritual reflection and action. The repeated use of "PRAY" and similar religious statements like "Worship God," "Read Bible," and "Go To Church" present a consistent theme of urging people to turn to faith and spirituality.
Creator[edit]
The identity of the PRAY graffiti writer remains unknown. Various sources and eyewitnesses have speculated about the tools and methods used, but no definitive information about the creator has been uncovered. The graffiti's anonymity adds to its mystique and enduring legacy.
Deployment[edit]
PRAY graffiti has been deployed in various public spaces, including subway columns, pay phones, and other prominent urban surfaces. The method of scratching or etching the message into these surfaces suggests a deliberate and sustained effort to leave a lasting mark.
Destruction, Conservation, and Public Acknowledgment[edit]
Many PRAY sgraffiti instances have been lost to urban development and maintenance. However, photographs and media references preserve the memory of this unique New York City phenomenon.
References[edit]
- ^ Cantor, Max (September 1989). "The City That Prays Together." Spy Magazine
- ^ 1978 'Divine Graffiti,' New York Post, November 19, p. 31
- ^ Atkinson, B. (1973) 'Otherwise, Everything Is the Same,' The New York Times, April 5
- ^ 1980 Castleman, Craig "Getting Up: The Origin and Early History of Graffiti." MIT Press
- ^ Atkinson, B. (1973) 'Otherwise, Everything Is the Same,' The New York Times, April 5
- ^ Atkinson, B. (1973) 'Otherwise, Everything Is the Same,' The New York Times, April 5
- ^ 1978 'Divine Graffiti,' New York Post, November 19, p. 31
- ^ White, James A. (September 8, 1983). "What Has Come To Pay Telephones? Change, of Course." The Wall Street Journal
- ^ Cantor, Max (September 1989). "The City That Prays Together." Spy Magazine
- ^ "The story of SAMO©, Basquiat's first art project". 6 September 2017.
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