I was honored to meet Harley Laird who is Ed Ruscha’s automotive superhero. He has a vast knowledge of automotive know-how and can fix about anything given to him. I could have listened to his stories for hours about cars and days gone by. Harley reminded me of my grandfather and a generation that I’m just not ready to let go. When Ed Ruscha originally wrote his TwentySix Gasoline Stations, a short fifty years ago, cars were still made of metal, bondo was just starting to be used to fix dents and drivers traveled Route 66 to get from Chicago to Los Angeles. Harley is of that generation and along with Ed Ruscha has seen many changes.
I made a few images and recorded Harley’s voice so when I left California and returned to Oklahoma, I could remember just how much I liked this man. The wrinkles buried deep into his face reminded me he has lived a long life, as I’m sure each wrinkle has a story. His hands, which fiddled with car parts as I listened to him speak, showed years of hard work on cars and even airplanes. My husband is a pilot so I thoroughly enjoyed Harley’s stories of flying off in a “borrowed” plane. I knew my husband would love him as much as I loved him too.
I only wish I had more time to spend at Ed Ruscha’s studio. I could feel in my heart that Ruscha and those people he surrounds himself with are good people. I could tell that they were people I would love to spend more time with and get to know better. I truly appreciate the short time I was able to spend at Ruscha’s studio. Thank you Ed Ruscha, Paul, Harley and all.
- Shelly Perkins
www.shellyperkins.com
