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Ed Ruscha

American, b. 1937

Indisputably one of the most iconic American artists of the 20th century, Ed Ruscha has built a formidable body of work by staking a claim on the deceptively simple intersection of text and image, superimposing elliptical phrases (or, often, single words) over West Coast landscapes to create prints and paintings that can be read instantaneously yet evade easy understanding.

Alongside artists like Robert Irwin and Billy Al Bengston, Ruscha was a pioneer of the 1960s Los Angeles art scene as part of the famed Ferus Gallery. His embrace of Hollywood vernacular and the open Western road have tied him as closely to the identity of L.A. art as Jackson Pollock is to that of New York.

Coming to California in 1956 at the age of 18, Ruscha intended to become a commercial painter but found himself drawn to fine art, over time being shaped by three galvanizing influences: Marcel Duchamp, Pop art and the movies.

Meeting Duchamp when the Pasadena Art Museum (now the Norton Simon Museum) hosted the French Conceptual artist's first U.S. show, Ruscha was especially affected by his use of "readymade" objects and imagery, rendered unfamiliar through unexpected titles or text. Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup can paintings, meanwhile, were shown for the first time at the Ferus Gallery in 1962, opening up new vistas for Ruscha. Movies, then, provided another inspiration through their use of title cards, placing graphic text over filmic shots — The End, for instance — for maximum impact.

Ruscha began his famous series of word paintings in the 1960s, depicting various views of the Hollywood sign and the logos of studios like 20th Century Fox, but also roadside views like the Standard Oil stations dotting L.A.'s freeways. Over time these became more abstracted, pinning ambiguous, free-floating phrases (Wall Rockets is a famous example) to natural vistas, scenes of highways, or monochrome backgrounds. Beginning in about 1980, the artist began using a sharp font he designed himself, called Boy Scout Utility Modern.

A master printmaker who also works across the mediums of books, drawing, photography and even film — in 2009 he starred in a movie directed by the artist Doug Aitken — Ruscha has been an influence on a staggering array of artists, including Stephen Shore, Christopher Wool and Anselm Kiefer.

Ruscha's work has been featured in dozens of exhibitions around the world, including "Ed Ruscha: 50 Years of Painting" at London's Hayward Gallery (2009), "Ed Ruscha: Made in Los Angeles" at Madrid's Reina Sofia in 2002, a 2000 retrospective at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, a survey of his works-on-paper at the J. Paul Getty Museum in 1998, and a 1982 retrospective that traveled to the Whitney Museum. In 2005 he represented the United States at the 51st Venice Biennale, and in 2009 he received a National Arts Award.

Find a collection of original Ed Ruscha lithographs and other art for sale on 1stDibs.

Average Sold Price
$4,513
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Materials
Related Artists
A Particular Kind Of Heaven by Ed Ruscha
By Ed Ruscha
Located in London, GB
A Particular Kind Of Heaven by Ed Ruscha 1983 Offset lithograph on paper size - 24 × 36 1/5 in 61 × 92 cm Open edition Mint condition Gallery / description text in margin alo...
Category

1980s Contemporary Ed Ruscha

Materials

Paper, Lithograph

Turbo Tears - Contemporary Art, Editions, Ed Ruscha, Lithograph, Red
By Ed Ruscha
Located in Zug, CH
Ed Ruscha Turbo Tears - Contemporary Art, Editions, Ed Ruscha, Lithograph, Pop Art 2020 Lithograph Edition of 120 60 × 76 cm (23.62 × 29.92 in) Signed and numbered In mint condition...
Category

2010s Contemporary Ed Ruscha

Materials

Lithograph

Ed Ruscha - A Particular Kind of Heaven
By Ed Ruscha
Located in Central, HK
Ed Ruscha A Particular Kind Of Heaven, 1983 Offset lithograph on paper 24 × 36 1/5 in | 61 × 92 cm
Category

2010s Ed Ruscha

Materials

Paper

On the Road (10 sandwiches with bread and salami) (Hand signed by Ed Ruscha)))
By Ed Ruscha
Located in New York, NY
Ed Ruscha On the Road (10 sandwiches with bread and salami) (Hand signed and dated by Ed Ruscha), 2010 Letterpress on paper with tipped-in die-cut photograph Hand signed and dated 20...
Category

2010s Pop Art Ed Ruscha

Materials

Offset, Lithograph, Pencil, Mixed Media, Etching

OLD SMOBILE (Hand signed and inscribed to famous California native Stan Smith)
By Ed Ruscha
Located in New York, NY
Ed Ruscha OLD SMOBILE (Hand signed and inscribed to famous California native Stan Smith), 1989 Limited Edition Softcover monograph (Hand signed and inscribed to famous California nat...
Category

1980s Pop Art Ed Ruscha

Materials

Paper, Acrylic Polymer, Ink, Mixed Media, Lithograph, Offset

New Mexico (Limited Edition monograph, hand signed and numbered by Ed Ruscha)
By Ed Ruscha
Located in New York, NY
Ed Ruscha New Mexico (Limited Edition monograph, hand signed and numbered by Ed Ruscha), 2020 Hardback monograph (Signed and numbered by Ed Ruscha) Boldly signed and numbered 21/25 b...
Category

2010s Pop Art Ed Ruscha

Materials

Ink, Mixed Media, Lithograph, Offset

Documenta 5 (Engberg 66)
By Ed Ruscha
Located in New York, NY
Ed Ruscha Documenta 5 (Engberg 66), 1972 Color silkscreen on wove paper Pencil signed and numbered from the limited edition of 150 on the front; the artist's copyright ink stamp and ...
Category

1970s Contemporary Ed Ruscha

Materials

Pencil, Screen

Ed Ruscha - America Whistles, 1975, Signed Lithograph, Pop Art, Conceptual Art
By Ed Ruscha
Located in Hamburg, DE
Ed Ruscha (American, born 1937) America Whistles (from America: The Third Century), 1975 Medium: Lithograph on wove paper Dimensions: 76.3 x 57 cm Edition of 200 + 25 AP + 25 HC: Han...
Category

20th Century Pop Art Ed Ruscha

Materials

Lithograph

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Galleries Featuring Ed Ruscha

Alpha 137 Gallery
5.0
Baldwin Contemporary
5.0
Gilden's Art Gallery
4.7
Bernard Jacobson Gallery
4.8
Hirth Fine Art
5.0
Upsilon Gallery
No Reviews Yet
Gregg Shienbaum Fine Art - churned
No Reviews Yet
EHC Fine Art
5.0

Artists Similar to Ed Ruscha

Ed Ruscha art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Ed Ruscha art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Ed Ruscha in screen print and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 1970s and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Ed Ruscha art, so small editions measuring 26 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Ross Bleckner, David Collins, and Ned Martin. Ed Ruscha art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at £15,723 and tops out at £15,723, while the average work can sell for £15,723.
Questions About Ed Ruscha
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Ed Ruscha is a multi-medium contemporary artist who has widely been hailed as an important player in the Pop Art movement. You can shop a selection of Ed Ruscha’s pieces from some of the world’s top art dealers on 1stDibs
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Ed Ruscha is famous for his text paintings made during the 1960s. The American conceptual and Pop art artist was born on December 16, 1937, in Omaha, Nebraska. On 1stDibs, you can shop a collection of Ed Ruscha textual art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Yes, Ed Ruscha is a conceptual artist. His work also shows elements of Pop art. However, the artist does not associate his own work with either movement. He is well known for his text paintings first produced during the 1960s. Find a variety of Ed Ruscha on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Ed Ruscha made his well-known collage art by combining words and images from advertisements and other pieces of media. He often incorporated found items and unconventional materials like blood, liquid medicine and food. You'll find a selection of Ed Ruscha art on 1stDibs.

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