It’s great when you come across one of these. Now Petrol stations usually have small supermarkets and deli counters attached and at some you can pay by credit card at the pump – they have really cleaned up their act. And that’s welcome – but traveling in Co. Kerry recently I stopped for petrol and had to take these photographs.

This diesel pump was still in working order but had seen better days. There was something very painterly about it. It made me look at it closely, at the peeling masking tape and the grubby marks built up over years of use. I like it so much I might get it enlarged, but don’t have much wall space left.

 

Looking at things closely reminds me of James Elkin’s book How to use your Eyes. Elkins who spent some time in Cork, working at the Art History Department at University College Cork has produced a book where he shows us how to look at everyday things like ‘a twig’ or ‘a pavement’ or ‘a moth’s wing’ or ‘a shoulder’ or my favourite, how to look ‘at nothing’. Elkins tells us “apparently the eye cannot stand to look at nothing, and when it is faced with nothing, it slowly and automatically shuts down.” Looking at nothing involves cutting ping pong balls in half and cupping them lightly over your eyes – yes, you can try this at home – but it can bring on ‘a slow creeping claustrophobia’ and is likely to alienate your house mates but possibly delight small children. There’s a little more to it than ping pong balls, so better buy the book first and follow the more detail instructions for this experiment on page 240.