1997 MTA MetroCard Gold Commercial with George Elmer Pataki

As the MetroCard slips into history, New York artist Thomas McKean transforms this everyday relic into art. 💳 For decades, McKean has collected discarded MetroCards, reworking them into dense collages and sculptural compositions that mirror the city’s layered identity. 💳 His work has been exhibited at institutions including the New York Transit Museum and the Museum of the City of New York, where personal memory meets urban history. 💳 A small piece of plastic becomes a shared portrait of life