Twenty-Six Gasoline Stations 1970

Curator: "Twenty-Six Gasoline Stations" by Edward Ruscha, currently at the Harvard Art Museums, presents a fascinating look into the visual language of the American landscape. Editor: Stark. A bit haunting, actually. The starkness is the point, I suppose. Like a ghost of a roadside attraction. Curator: Yes, the book cover format itself becomes a symbol—suggesting a narrative, a journey, or perhaps a commentary on consumer culture. The gasoline station, in our collective memory, is more than just fuel. Editor: And the faded text? "Twenty-Six Gasoline Stations" in this orangey hue feels so…retro, almost like a forgotten promise of the open road. Curator: Perhaps Ruscha is using the gasoline station as a symbol of transition, the transient nature of modern life and its infrastructures. Editor: Maybe! Or maybe it is just that: twenty-six gas stations on a road trip. I like both readings. Curator: The beauty is in the simplicity and the layered potential. Editor: Agreed.