A Different Kind of Art Fare

Nobody likes a backseat driver, but cabby Fabio Peralta loves a backseat drawer. When a passenger gets into the back of the Dominican Republic native’s taxi, they’re in for a most unusual ride. According to the New York Post, Peralta hands every person a stack of paper, and hopes they get to work. “I tell them to create art, any kind of art,” he said. “I don’t care what it is. Whatever comes to their brain, I say.”

As expected, most jaded New Yorkers balk at first, but eventually they come around. So far, Peralta’s collected 7,000 pieces. He then binds the drawings into glossy books and gives them away for free — well, almost. The 2,000 copies have been given to passengers who agree to participate in his latest endeavor: 30-second video skits. “People do whatever. They talk to the camera, they talk about their day, tell their stories,” he told the Post.

Peralta hasn’t come across a work of art he hasn’t liked yet. But most of all, he wants his passengers to forget about their worries for at least the duration of the trip and just enjoy the ride. The 40-year veteran hopes to eventually ink a deal with Barnes & Noble. Something tells us that dream may not be such a far-off idea.

Photo by aimhelix via Flickr