Cars & Gas Stations

Cars, Yellow Crane & Demolition, acrylic on paper, 28" x 36", 1990, on loan, promised to Federal Reserve Board Collection

Car and Dome, Private Collection

Empty Gas Station, watercolor on paper, 8 3/4" x 10 3/4", 1990                                                     &nbs

Empty Gas Station, watercolor on paper, 8 3/4" x 10 3/4", 1990
Private Collection

Third Street Exxon, watercolor on paper, 12" x 16", 1983

Demolition and Cars, DC, acrylic on paper, 18 1/2" x 25"
Private Collection

Cars & Billboard, acrylic on paper, 25" x 33", 1992 - Private Collection

Arlington Cabs, American University, Katzen Center Collection

Red Cabs, Private Collection

Arlington Cabs (study), watercolor, ink, & acrylic, 18" x 24"

Novak Car Lot (unfinished), watercolor on paper, 15" x 20"

DC Street Scene from Above, watercolor on paper, 12 1/2" x 12 1/4", on loan, promised to Federal Reserve Board Collection

Cars Vertical Split, Private Collection

Car Close-up Stain Painting, acrylic on canvas, 46 5/8" x 45"

Exxon Abandoned, watercolor on paper, 13" x 30"
Private Collection

Exxon Vignette, Private Collection

Esso's Last Stand, Private Collection

Exxon's Last Stand, acrylic on canvas, 60" x 60", 1987 Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection

Exxon Twilight, Private Collection

Val Lewton seemed to sense the demise of architecturally appealing inner city gas stations. Working at Gallery Place in the 70's and 80's, he documented in his paintings the beauty of these buildings, oddly and expeditiously converted to gas stations. He loved the old cars of that period, actually any older car, where the cars had an individual character and identifying hallmarks, serving well as the shapes and colorful images of foreground in his gas station compositions. Too soon, the demolition and construction activities of a city on a slow, unremitting flow toward gentrification caused these wonderful tableaux to disappear.