FROM 1972 to 1984, Steven Ogburn was one of the most prolific graffiti writers in New York, though commuters of the era were more likely to know him by his nom de guerre: Blade. Mr. Ogburn says he spray-painted the name — in a huge variety of inventive lettering styles — on more than 5,000 subway trains.

The feat earned him a title: King of Trains.

Mr. Ogburn quit painting trains in 1984, however, shortly after returning from Amsterdam, where his work had been exhibited.

Graffiti had become trendy in the world of fine art, and a collector voiced concern after seeing a freshly painted Blade artwork on a subway train.

“He looks at me,” Mr. Ogburn, 54, recalled one recent afternoon. “He’s a very serious man. He said, ‘You cannot paint trains anymore. You are now a gallery artist, and you have to be respectful to your work and to the people who collect your work.’ ”