Ron Kleemann was one of the original artists of Photorealism. He was captivated by reflections on cars, and most of his work depicts motor vehicles of all kinds, especially New York fire trucks and racing cars from NASCAR. "Gas Line" depicts the aftermath of the OPEC oil embargo. In the 1970s, due to the OPEC oil embargo, oil prices jumped 350%. As costs increased, businesses laid off workers and confidence in the American dream wavered. President Nixon asked gas stations to voluntarily not sell gasoline on Saturday nights or Sundays. 90% of gas station owners complied, which caused long lines of motorists filling up their cars while they still could. Some states used odd-even rationing; vehicles with license plates ending with an odd number could only buy gas on odd-numbered days of the month, while others could only buy on even-numbered days.