Ed Ruscha's "Standard Oil" series, particularly marked by the iconic "Standard Station, Amarillo, Texas" (1963), is a quintessential example of Pop art's fascination with commercial imagery and American culture. This series encapsulates Ruscha's deep interest in the landscape of roadside America, specifically the imagery of gas stations that punctuated his travels along Route 66 from Los Angeles to Oklahoma City. The omnipresence of Standard Oil stations, following the break-up of John D. Rockefeller's monopoly into "Baby Standards," provided a rich visual vocabulary for Ruscha, reflecting both the ubiquity and the banality of corporate presence in everyday life (Artsy) (Unframed).
Ruscha's transformation of a simple gas station into a profound subject of art began with its first appearance in his groundbreaking photographic book "Twentysix Gasoline Stations" and continued with its stylized representation in his paintings and prints. Through radical foreshortening and a play on words, Ruscha elevates the "Standard" gas station to an idealized form, making it a central motif in his exploration of the American West and its cultural icons (Artsy).
The "Standard Station" motif underwent several iterations, with the first screenprint appearing in 1966, characterized by its blue and fiery red backdrop. This was followed by variations such as "Mocha Standard," "Cheese Mold Standard with Olive," and "Double Standard" in 1969, each offering a different take on the original while maintaining the same composition. These works, alongside the later "Ghost Station" (2011), showcase Ruscha's ability to revisit and reinvent his themes, contributing to the lasting impact of the "Standard Station" image in the realm of post-war art (Artsy).
Ruscha's work is not merely a documentation of a specific American corporate iconography but also an exploration of the standardization of culture and the commodification of the American landscape. His depictions of Standard stations delve into the philosophical, reflecting on the relationship between words, things, and ideas. Through this series, Ruscha engages with various meanings of the word "standard"—a rallying point, a level of quality, and a corporate brand, underscoring the interplay between commercial and cultural standards (LACMA).
The "Standard Station" painting and its variants not only represent Ruscha's fascination with the aesthetics of commercialism and everyday objects but also situate him within a broader dialogue about the American dream and the visual culture of the mid-20th century. As a hallmark of Ruscha's oeuvre, the "Standard Oil" series continues to resonate, highlighting the artist's innovative approach to blending pop culture with fine art (Encyclopedia Britannica).