The Ancient Art Of Metrogami

Until the MTA implants chips in our bodies, there will likely be Metrogami:

Sitting in a token booth all day can be dull and draining, but station agent Luis Torres has found artistic inspiration on the job.

This MetroCard Michelangelo makes sculptures out of the used plastic cards straphangers toss on the ground near the turnstiles each day.

He bends, folds, cuts and assembles the yellow rectangles into mock city skyscrapers, dancing figurines and even religious icons.

“The possibilities are endless, and so is the supply of MetroCards to recycle,” Torres said. “A homeless guy brings me 50 to 100 cards a week. He says, ‘I know if I bring them to you, you’ll make more sculptures.’ ”

Although he insists he does not hone his craft on NYC Transit time, Torres has turned his booth at West 110th Street on the A, B and C lines into a gallery.

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The MTA does not sanction Torres’ gallery. Last week, one of his supervisors came into the booth and said, “These are great, but you have to take them down.”

But at the insistence of his customers and fans, Torres later put the work back on display.

Torres, 36, has constructed the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Twin Towers and a Crucifixion. He cuts the magnetic stripe into narrow strips to make hair.

Not all MetroCards are well-suited to what Torres calls “Metrogami.”

“Most people don’t realize this, but there are actually four different types of cards, and the darker-yellow ones are much thicker — too thick to take the folds and bends as well,” he said.