13.4.12

End of the Petroleum Age Pt. IV

In oblique honor of this week's Sepia Saturday theme of Bibles...

I recently spent a night in Long Beach, Washington ("World's Longest Beach," a dubious distinction). On the way out of town I happened to cast my eyes to the left as we passed a defunct Union 76 fueling station and I saw to my astonishment these frescoed gas tanks. I reckon you might call these "Gas Stations of the Cross."



Here they are in detail. The juxtaposition of abandoned petroleum infrastructure and Christian symbology blows my mind.
Annunciation

Baptism

Crucifixion

Ascendancy
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12 comments:

  1. Christine H.April 15, 2012 at 11:13 AM

    Very interesting and unexpected.

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  2. MrsupoleApril 20, 2012 at 4:28 AM

    I think these must have been very beautiful when they were first painted. Even now they are showing their beauty with their age. You are so lucky to have come across these and you have such a great eye for taking pictures.

    Happy Theme Thursday. Thanks for sharing this with us.

    God bless.

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  3. Alex DawJuly 26, 2013 at 11:15 PM

    Gas stations of the cross. Love it! Just amazing.

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  4. Brett PayneJuly 27, 2013 at 3:28 AM

    Very interesting. I'm not a religious person, but I quite like the idea of this kind of graffiti.

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  5. UnknownJuly 27, 2013 at 7:26 AM

    OMG. Amazing, really...they're either a message of true faith OR a warning to us all. I'm guessing the latter.

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  6. Bob ScotneyJuly 27, 2013 at 10:41 AM

    I would never have expected to see these on fuel tanks - old or not.

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  7. KristinJuly 27, 2013 at 11:11 AM

    Now I'm wondering what Deb thinks they are warning us about. Is it the paintings themselves or that they are on the abandoned gas tanks?

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    Replies
    1. UnknownJuly 28, 2013 at 7:13 AM

      I'm thinking along the lines of: try to mix capitalism and religion...see what happens! There's lots to explore in this, but probably best to leave it for another day....

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  8. JoanJuly 27, 2013 at 5:10 PM

    Absolutely amazing. I'd like to know more about who painted them and why. A rather odd place, geographicallly, to find them, and odd in context as well, but then we find some lovely art work done as graffiti.

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  9. Liz NeedleJuly 28, 2013 at 6:16 AM

    What an amazing find. I wonder how long ago they were painted. I hope someone thinks to restore and maintain them.

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  10. 21 WitsJuly 29, 2013 at 6:49 AM

    Wow, that is mind blowing!

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  11. PostcardyAugust 1, 2013 at 5:16 PM

    Those are cool! Red, white and blue patriotic (?) stripes too.

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