Ninja IX – Tonic Hair Studio 2023
Ninja IX - Freight Train Monikers
Tonic Hair Studio
446 George St N, Peterborough
(705) 748-4608
tonichairstudio.ca
instagram.com/tonic_hair_studio
Hours
Tues & Wed: 9 am – 5 pm
Thurs: 9 am – 7 pm
Fri: 9 am – 5 pm
Sat: 9 am - 2 pm
Sun & Mon: Closed
Note: Easter Weekend Hours
Friday, April 7: Closed
Sat: Regular hours
Sun & Mon: Closed
Freight Train Monikers
My interest in freight train graffiti and monikers was born in the early 2000’s while living in Vancouver, BC. Ranging from tags to masterpieces, I became obsessed with capturing these gifts of art. Unlike indoor art, the moment graffiti is created it begins to undergo a beautiful process of decay. Many interesting things make graffiti an attractive subject. Vibrant colours which fade and transform over time under the pressure of weather, being gone over by other artists or removal by authorities. It is anonymous, unfunded, and illegal. It is not pretentious. There is an ironic set of rules and hierarchy within the culture. I dabbled around the edges using the pseudonym Ninja IX alongside partner Jerm IX who was very active in the culture.
Train monikers are a fascinating form of communication between artists, train riders and staff, and the odd passerby. Their beauty is in their simplicity, the sheer number of them, and the fact they travel around the province, country and even continent like a travelling art show on display for all who think to look for them. Monikers typically consist of an image, statement, date, and possibly the name of the artist or crew. The history of monikers began with hobos who rode train lines to get around and share information about places that were safe to stay and other tips to help survive such a transient lifestyle. All shots were taken between 2010-2022 with an iPhone.
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