Recycled Gas Station Touches Hearts, Minds
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY 
on 04.23.08
When artist and environmental activist Jennifer Marsh realized there were over 200,000 abandoned gas stations marring the landscape across America she realized there was something simple she could do to make a statement; recycle one into art, and ask students the world over to help.
The idea being they just might make a statement simple enough to be understood by all.
It actually started as just a small project, but quickly grew to include 2,370 students from 17 schools (grades K-College), and ultimately included people from Turkey to Costa Rica to Dallas.
In all, people from 15 countries and 29 states lent a hand.
The “exhibit” itself is actually a fifty-year-old station in Syracuse, NY; and she’s used more than 3,400 colorful panels to cover 5,000 square feet of vacant gas station with crocheted, knitted, stitched, patched, photographed, silk screened and collaged fiber panels.
It’s expected to be a part of the landscape for the next three months. So if you’re in Syracuse you now know just where you can catch an eyeful of artistic magic. One panel at a time…
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I think that this recycled gas station is truly a testament to the ingenuity of the artist, artistic skill, and environmental responsibility. Not only is this "revamped" structure visually and emotionally appealing, the statement on the beauty and use of recycled goods is loud and clear. I cannot presume to infer the real intention of the artist, but to me she has pushed the envelope in terms of recycled and landscape art. The structure will draw attention, and I hope awareness, to the issue of recycling and sustainability. I am also sincerely impressed that so many people helped out- different hands represent different artistic voices, and together here they make and appealing cohesive whole.
I hope it looks better close up. From a distance it doesn't look that different from your usual poster covered urban tat.
Also, how is it recycling? The building is not being reused, all that has happened is that it has been covered with "art" that will no doubt never see the light of day again. The purpose of recycling is to use a waste product again in a useful manner. There is a tremondous fad for creating art from rubbish. How does this benefit humanity? The artistic merits are often dubious, well at least lost to a majority of the population - I may seem like a cynic who thinks that only 200 oil-on-canvases are art, but I am actually very open minded, so if I'm not convinced that means few others will be. Although art can be uplifting and beneficial in this sense, there is a need for practical solutions to the very real problems society faces; not yet another overpriced lampshade made from plastic bottles.
Perhaps a better ides would be to first convert these stations to self-service bicycle stations (loos, showers, lockers, vending machine with puncture kits and snakcs etc) would be more useful. Then cover it with uplifting, environmentally themed art. That would be a truly benefical.
I hope it looks better close up. From a distance it doesn't look that different from your usual poster covered urban tat.
Also, how is it recycling? The building is not being reused, all that has happened is that it has been covered with "art" that will no doubt never see the light of day again. The purpose of recycling is to use a waste product again in a useful manner. There is a tremondous fad for creating art from rubbish. How does this benefit humanity? The artistic merits are often dubious, well at least lost to a majority of the population - I may seem like a cynic who thinks that only 200yo oil-on-canvases are art, but I am actually very open minded, so if I'm not convinced that means few others will be. Although art can be uplifting and beneficial in this sense, there is a need for practical solutions to the very real problems society faces; not yet another overpriced lampshade made from plastic bottles.
Perhaps a better ides would be to first convert these stations to self-service bicycle stations (loos, showers, lockers, vending machine with puncture kits and snakcs etc) would be more useful. Then cover it with uplifting, environmentally themed art. That would be a truly benefical.
Apologies for the double post.
Apologies for the double post. Everything seems to be slow today, me included.
I agree with George. I don't think that's art or recycling.
In addition, why are there 200,000 abandoned gas stations? Doesn't someone own or lease the land? A bank at least? You'd think they would be selling it or leasing it to someone else. Real estate sucks right now though...
Maybe there could be some kind of gov-mint program to turn them into charging stations for electric cars or change them over to hydrogen fueling stations or something similar.
I think this is a wonderful idea.Temporary public art is a progressive method for bringing awareness to urgent cultural/community issues. By REUSING the building as art - temporarily giving it a new use, in the public realm - perhaps it gives the idea to another progressive thinker to RECYCLE the parts into a bike co-op.
Often I try to find examples of sustainable public art. This one might qualify because it reused materials and brought attention to an important issue of unused buildings.
Green Living loves Public Art
I think a lot of fans of the green movement are seeking a higher quality of life. How you spend your time, what you put in you body, how you treat your environment, even what we build in our environment. But what about the in between spaces? What makes a public space attractive?
Public art reflects the community and engages those who encounter it. Shouldn't we send a positive message about sustainability?
Yes, sometimes art is abstract, but it is more human than turf or concrete.
I totally agree with you. When I starting reading this post I kept on asking myself how is this recycling?
oh wow. i drove by this a few months ago... was wondering what it was... LOL. weird.