Petroleum

Petroleum is a recent project inspired by Ed Ruscha’s book “Twentysix Gasoline Stations” 1963, and Edward Hopper’s painting “Gas” 1940. The images convey a different tone to their work as the petrol station has become far more ubiquitous in the modern world. The solitude presented in the photos is eerie. In a developed nation like the United Kingdom, everyone has a preconceived understanding and relationship with petrol stations; they mostly associate them with busy daytime travel. The emptiness challenges this understanding and the familiarity of the petrol station suddenly become unfamiliar and uncanny. I also think the photos do a good job of conveying it’s liminality, on the edge of day and night.