Riddled along the highways and byways of America, gas stations typify mass production and commercial uniformity. In 1964, Ed Ruscha turned this ubiquity into something unique. Standard Station's transformation of the commonplace typifies Web3. Both signify a pivotal shift in perception, veering from physical uniqueness to conceptual distinctiveness. Where originality retains its worth in an age of effortless replication.
Though not wholly original, Gas Guzzlers is conceptually distinct. A play on the subjective nature of meaning, re-inventing Ruscha's work for a Web3 era. One in which the term 'gas' has a new connotation.
In contrast to its traditional meaning, gas on the blockchain is a virtual concept. While both are crucial for day-to-day operations, their natures highlight a fascinating divergence in how the same term adapts to vastly different contexts.
Just as Standard Oil in the 1960s was synonymous with gasoline, representing a widely recognized gas station that consumed significant physical fuel, contracts on the Ethereum blockchain have achieved similar iconic status, consistently consuming more virtual gas.
This original analogy via the playful parody of Ruscha's work is the unique focus of Gas Guzzlers, a collection of 512 generative NFTs created by ART101.
