Phillips 66 - Flagstaff, AZ after 1962

Editor: This is Edward Ruscha’s "Phillips 66 - Flagstaff, AZ," it is a black and white photograph, and it feels very matter-of-fact. What catches your eye when you look at it? Curator: The photograph documents a roadside gas station, but more than that, it documents a system of distribution and consumption. Ruscha is highlighting the materiality of the landscape and economy. How does this image participate in the larger network of commerce and labor? Editor: It feels like it’s elevating something ordinary. Like he's saying that even this place is worthy of being art. Curator: Exactly! The photo is an engagement with the everyday, and a commentary on the post-war American landscape shaped by mass production and consumerism. Editor: So, it's not just about a gas station, but about the structures that allow it to exist. Curator: Precisely. Think about the road, the cars, the oil industry, and the cultural values that drive consumption. Editor: I'll definitely look at Ruscha's work differently now, considering the context of materials and labor. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure, thinking about art in terms of materiality always opens new doors.