Twentysix Gasoline Stations is the first artist’s book by the American pop artist Ed Ruscha. Published in April 1963 on his own imprint National Excelsior Press, it is often considered to be the first modern artist’s book, and has become famous as a precursor and a major influence on the emerging artist’s book culture, especially in America. The book does exactly what its title suggests, reproducing 26 photographs of gasoline stations next to captions indicating their brand and location.
My own petrol station project developed out a fascination with the glow from illuminated signs. The brightly lit canopies with their glowing strips of branding, red for Esso, green for BP, yellow and red for Shell were part of this subject matter. Like Ruscha, I wanted to create a photographic ‘map’ and the A1 was the obvious choice as it connects my home in London to my parent’s house in Yorkshire.
Shell, 276 Upper Street, London Shell, 104 Holloway Road, London Esso, 640-648 Holloway Road, London Esso, Wellington Road, London BP, Watford Way, London Esso, Observatory Service Station, Barnet Shell, Mill Hill Shell, Stirling Corner BP, South Mimms Shell, Baldock BP, Astwick BP, Northway Apple Green, Biggleswade Sainsburys, Biggleswade Texaco, Sandy Shell, Tempsford Road, Sandy Total, Black Cat BP, Wyboston Shell, Buckden BP, Brampton Shell, Peterborough BP, Wansford Shell, Wittering Texaco, Bloody Oaks Esso, Ram Jam Esso, Grantham South Esso, Jubilee Garage BP, Stoke Rochford BP, Great Gonerby Texaco, Toll Bar Texaco, Foston BP, Muskham BP, North Muskham Shell, Retford Shell, Retford Esso, Blyth Texaco, Skellow, Doncaster Shell, Great North Road Shell, Kirk Smeaton BP, Darrington Esso, Ferrybridge Services BP, Wetherby Services Texaco, Leeming Lane, Rainton Spot, Leeming Services Total, Seaton Burn Shell, North Catterick Esso, Scotch Corner BP, Barton Park Total, Durham Services BP, Washington Services BP, Washington Services Total, Seaton Burn BP, Alnwick Services Gulf, Adderstone Gulf, Lindisfarne Services, Fenwick Morrisons, North Road, Berwick upon Tweed Asda, West Barns Esso, Musselburgh Asda, Musselburgh Esso, Willowbrae road, Edinburgh Shell, Abbeymount, Edinburgh