Route 27, East of Bayshore 1978

Curator: This is "Route 27, East of Bayshore" by Per Brandin. It's a black and white photograph, capturing a roadside scene. Editor: It feels so quintessentially American, doesn't it? The Texaco station, the flag... there's a certain melancholy in the starkness. Curator: The gas station acts as a stage set, and the attendant poses as the main character. He's leaning against the gas pump, a pose that speaks volumes about labor and place. Editor: Right, and the image evokes a sense of displacement. It almost feels like an elegy for a disappearing working class and American industry. The gas price is a stark contrast to today. Curator: Indeed. The composition is so deliberate, almost theatrical. The gas station brands become a visual shorthand for an era. Editor: It’s a portrait of a specific moment in time but also carries a sense of timelessness, reflecting on themes of identity, capitalism, and the changing landscape of labor. Curator: A potent reminder of how our landscapes shape our collective memory. Editor: Absolutely. It's a powerful image that makes you think about the stories etched into the places we inhabit.