Route 66 Approaches Centennial, Inspiring Artists For A Century

(MENAFN- USA Art News) The iconic American highway, Route 66, will mark its 100th anniversary on November 11. Throughout its history, the route has captivated writers, musicians, and visual artists, reshaping the nation's artistic imagination.

As one of the earliest national highways in the United States, Route 66 began in Chicago and meandered through Missouri, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona, ultimately concluding in Santa Monica, California. Comprised of pre-existing local roads, the highway facilitated the westward migration of Dust Bowl refugees, spurred America's automotive tourism boom, and contributed to the rise of the classic roadside motel.

Although Route 66 was officially decommissioned in 1985 following years of decline, sections of it are maintained as National Scenic Byways. Its cultural impact is significant, as evidenced by John Steinbeck's characterization of it as the“Mother Road” in his 1939 novel The Grapes of Wrath and Nat King Cole's 1946 song,“( Get Your Kicks on) Route 66.” Artists from Robert Indiana to Bob Dylan have drawn inspiration from its legacy.

Artists' Interpretations of the Mother Road

Pop artist Robert Indiana, known as the“American painter of signs,” had a profound connection to Route 66. He recounted in 1963 that“It seemed that half my life was spent in the automobile,” referencing his transient childhood. Indiana also linked the highway to his father, who was the sixth child in his family, born on the sixth day of the sixth month, and worked for Phillips 66, an energy company named after a 1927 speed test conducted at 66 mph on Route 66. When Indiana was 10, his father departed by driving down the highway.

The highway system initially appeared in Indiana's 1960–61 series“The American Dream,” which explored the“superficiality of American life” through symbols such as pinball machines, neon signs, and highways 29, 37, 40, and 66. His 1962 work, Route 66, more explicitly referenced the legendary route, capturing American industry with large stenciled letters. The painting's design, featuring“USA” above a prominent“66,” was influenced by the Phillips 66 sign, which Indiana described as“one of the most fascinating visual objects in my entire youth.” He revisited the theme in 2002 with the diptych US 66 (States) / US 66 (Cities), incorporating circular emblems that name locations along the route, including Texas, Missouri, Chicago, and Flagstaff, encircling a large number“6.”

Artist Ed Ruscha 's journey down Route 66 in 1956, from Oklahoma City to Los Angeles for the California Institute of the Arts, significantly influenced his work. The billboards and neon signs he encountered shaped his artistic vision. In 1962, he traveled the highway in reverse, from Los Angeles to Oklahoma, photographing 60 gasoline stations. Twenty-six of these images were compiled into his inaugural artist book, Twentysix Gasoline Stations. Each image was accompanied by a minimalist caption detailing the station's name and location, such as“Union, Needles, California” or“Flying A, Kingman, Arizona.” Ruscha intentionally sought an“absolutely neutral” form with minimal text for the book. He stated in 1965,“My pictures are not that interesting, nor the subject matter. They are simply a collection of 'facts.' My book is more like a collection of readymades.”

While Bob Dylan famously chronicled Route 61, the“Blues Highway,” in song, his visual art reflects a deep appreciation for Route 66. His ongoing series,“The Beaten Path,” features paintings of various American roads, including evocative, observational scenes along Route 66. These works depict landmarks such as the historic Blue Swallow Motel, Grandview Motel, an abandoned garage, and a defunct Gulf station. Dylan wrote of these works in 2016, when they were exhibited,“The common theme of these works having something to do with the American landscape, how you see it while crisscrossing the land and seeing it for what it's worth. I believe that the key to the future is in the remnants of the past.” Although his connection to Route 66 is more mythic than geographic, with claims of a childhood in the railroad town of Gallup, New Mexico, his artistic focus often prioritizes mythology over factual geography.

In 1974, the artist group Ant Farm, comprising Chip Lord, Hudson Marquez, and Doug Michels, created Cadillac Ranch just west of Amarillo, Texas. This monumental installation featured 10 Cadillacs half-buried at a 60-degree angle, mirroring the Pyramid of Giza. The work charted the evolution of the Cadillac's tailfin across models spanning from 1948 to 1958. Texas businessman Stanley Marsh 3 commissioned the project, sourcing used Cadillacs through local newspaper classifieds. The artwork served as an homage to the golden age of American automobiles, many of which would have traversed Route 66. The roadside attraction remained in a wheat field along Route 66 for decades before being relocated two miles west in 1997. Today, Cadillac Ranch is a landmark that draws over a million visitors annually, many of whom leave paint and graffiti on the cars. Stanley Marsh 4 currently oversees the property and is exploring preservation options. However, Lord offered a different perspective in 2024, stating,“With farmers, when a truck stops running, they put it out in a field and it rusts away. Just let it rust down to nothing, which eventually it will. That's the most logical end of Cadillac Ranch.”

Source: Artnet News

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