TANKER TART - White tankers.

Travelling long distances on dual carriageways and motorways, often in three lanes of solid traffic, I have become fascinated with 'lorry bums'. The variations in design and geometry have caught my imagination. But my frustration has been paramount because I cannot take pictures of them while I am driving. I have been known to trail a tanker through a town onto a trading estate, or follow it to its depot, into the services etc. Drivers have, so far, been pleasant, fun and very curious, obviously thinking I have a screw loose.

Often, however, it is not appropriate to ask permission. The curtains may be drawn as they doze in their cab.


Last week we spent most of the week in Norfolk, visiting the Sainsbury Centre on East Anglia University campus to see the exhibition, 'China, China China' and Lord Sainsbury's permanent collection, which I love, and also attending a brilliant lecture. We stayed on an amazing organic farm where the food was wonderful. The journey was tedious, having to go round London on the M.25. and seemed to take forever. But it was an opportunity to take pictures of lorries with interesting design, excitedly following some into services and laybys! I gathered many more truck pics under my wing.







I fell in love with this tanker and followed it for miles, off the motorway until it stopped in a lay-by close to Sainsbury in Taunton. Such clean lines and simple patterns. One of my favourites to work from.


Detail


This lorry was parked in a layby. I love the simple circle surrounded by angles.


Having followed this tanker along the dual carriageway, I finally caught up with it in a services lorry park.

This B.P. lorry I followed for miles coming home from college the other night, often at 30 mph. Eventually, I gave up, accepting that it may never pull off the road. Suddenly, I came across a B.P. garage, quickly indicated and pulled in and was so thrilled the lorry pulled in behind me. The driver was bemused when I asked if I could photograph his tanker.




As we drove into the services on our way to Norfolk and parked in the car park, I was eager to explore the lorry park. Suddenly, this tanker pulled in front of our car. I leapt out and took a couple of pictures, forgetting to turn off my flash. He disappeared very quickly indeed. Definitely another favourite






We followed this tanker with its blue pipes several times, once into the services, but lost it. Later on, we came across it again on the motorway and I managed to take a picture.

A septic tank tanker,I understand - so many interesting shapes. I am becoming fascinated by the pipes too.

Dirty white oval tanker going under a bridge.

I am hunter gathering at the moment but can't wait to draw and experiment with some of these shapes - and these are just the white tankers!

What are they carrying? Who is the driver and what is his journey? Does he have to keep his lorry clean? What about colour, design, geometry, shape, decay. Terry Frost painted lorries I discovered recently. I look forward to taking this further

All images are copyright.