Traveling on Highway 92 moving east across Nebraska, I recently stumbled upon a magnificent remnant of the American roadside.
Circling back around to get a closer look, I was somehow reminded of a painting by Edward Hopper that I had seen years ago aptly entitled, “Gas.” Like the subject matter and theme of Hopper’s painting, this scene was riveting in its simplicity.
But unlike the smooth, clean lines of Hopper’s work, these facsimiles had hard, rough edges–gritty, battered, and antiquated. Having been stripped of its original beauty, this scene had been recast in sorrow and sadness.
And as I stood there taking it all in, I couldn’t help but think that maybe this is how it should be. There was a time when the images in Hopper’s paintings–full of life and emotion–could comfort us. But now is not that time. In truth, those days are most likely gone forever.
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