People gravitate to the openings and views offered by these pieces. Almost certainly unconsciously. But for a few minutes, their lives are ever so slightly a little more pleasant.
Per the MTA:
Rendered in forged steel, The Land Between Two Waters consists of 14 panels in seven pairs that are integrated into the stations platform windscreens. The images evoke the nearby rivers and other elements of the landscape, both natural and constructed, associated with the history and evolution of the area.
The bottom picture shows the general view of the elevated station. I’m not much of an artsy, touchie-feelie guy, but I was touched by the whole thing. I wonder what the guy at the top was thinking.