Prompt: Above is a series created by Eric Tabuchi. After looking at the imagery, read the following commentary. Tabuchi's series has been compared to the famous work of Ed Ruscha entitled "Twentysix Gasoline Stations." After you spend some time studying the work of Tabuchi thoroughly, research Ruscha's work on the internet and compare and contrast the two artists' perspectives.
Twentysix Abandoned Gasoline Stations
photographs by Eric Tabuchi
French photographer Eric Tabuchi has created a modern day reprise of Ed Ruscha's ground-breaking artist's book from 1963, Twentysix Gasoline Stations. Tabuchi has published a boxed set of 26 oversized postcard-like prints of photos he's taken between 2002 and 2008. Tabuchi's work captures abandoned, rusting, toxic-leaking architectural ruins that blight the landscape and roadscapes of France. In a spirit very much akin to Ruscha's, Tabuchi photographed these abandoned gasoline stations in a flat, objective style, showing them just as plainly as they exist. If there is a moral argument to the story, Tabuchi leaves it to the viewer to decide. Ruscha talked about his own work in an interview with Bernard Brunon, in the book Leave any Information at the Signal: In the early 1950s I was awakened by the photographs of Walker Evans and the movies of John Ford, especially Grapes of Wrath where the poor “Okies” (mostly farmers whose land dried up) go to California with mattresses on their cars rather than stay in Oklahoma and starve. I faced a sort of black-and-white cinematic emotional identity crisis myself in this respect—sort of a showdown with myself—a little like trading dust for oranges. On the way to California I discovered the importance of gas stations. They are like trees because they are there. They were not chosen because they were pop-like but because they have angles, colors, and shapes, like trees. They were just there, so they were not in my visual focus because they were supposed to be social-nerve endings.
Twentysix Abandoned Gasoline Stations is a nice follow-on to Tabuchi's previously published series, also from the highways of France, called Alphabet Truck. Both series seem to reference the history of artists' books, and typological studies like the Bechers', and some kind of hybrid salute to road movies. — Jim Casper
11 comments:
Kasen, Period 4
My first reaction to this series was that it was very intresting to me it is the kind of things I would shoot, and do shoot. It gives off a despressing feel to see it just wasting away on what was once beautiful land fallowed by probably a family run place that is now shut down and rotting. Like a dream of a human rotting away in an empty opening.
Nice interpretation Kasen. Now you have to compare and contrast the work to Ruscha for full credit:)
Eric Tabuchi's images are more depressing and lonelier than those of Ed Ruscha. The gas stations Ed Ruscha photographed still look like they have life in them and are still being used, while Eric Tabuchi's images show old and abandoned gas stations.
Ruscha's photographs are much more light feeling then Tabuchis'. Tabuchi's are lonely and broken down looking while Ruscha's have a hint of life to them.
Ruscha’s work, unlike Tabuchi’s, involved working gas stations. Tabuchi’s images were all abandoned gas stations. Ruscha also shot in black and white; while Tabuchi shot in color. I guess I would say that the only comparison would be that their series’ were both about gas stations.
What one might notice is that Tabuchi may have shot the same gas stations that were included in Ruscha’s work. That would prove what had happened to those very gas stations today.
Stephanie Latendresse
Period five
5-6
Ed Ruscha's work is more interesting to me, like the touch of black and white imagery is so much better. I find color not so breath taking like black and white. Sometimes i preffer color, but this time the black and white cought more my attention.In Tabuchi's work I just see the gas stations and I dont go beyond them. I think an image has to speak to you, and these images don't :(
Eli Groves
I am apathetic toward these two artists, neither the photography nor the idea behind the images interest me.
I notice very little differences between the two, both are very straightforward images of gas stations. The only distinguishable differences are in the actual images themselves. Tabuchi’s photographs were shot in color, while Ruscha’s were shot in black and white. Tabuchi shot deserted gas stations, Ruscha shot functioning gas stations.
Perhaps if I was less detached from this body of work, I would have more to discuss.
I like Ed Ruscha's photos more. The black and white images look more artistic. He also has different looking gas stations. Eric Tabuchi's photos have modern abandoned gas stations and i see them all the time so its not as interesting as Ed's. Also Eric's produce more of a sad and dull emotion and Ed's photos give off an exciting feeling, it makes you want to see the gas stations in real life.
When I first laid eyes upon this, I find myself more interested as the images progress. It seems to me that as the series progresses when I scroll down, the subjects themselves begin to lose matter to view. It depicts a form of deterioration between gas station to gas station. Compared to Ruscha's work, this seems to show a more lifelessness that isn't depicted in 26 Gas Stations.
The difference between Eric Tabuchi’s work and Ed Ruscha’s work is that Ruscha’s Twentysix Gasoline Stations is comprised of photographs of gasoline stations taken on Route 66, while Tabuchi’s work is all taken in France. I really like Tabuchi’s work because I love old, abandoned places.
Olivia Ottinger
Period 5
Photo 5-6
10/19/09
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