The Nebraska-born, all-American artist Ed Ruscha claims that his muse is the US 66 route between Oklahoma and Los Angeles. His bold paintings of 1960s California, which drew heavily from graphic design, captured the spirit of the post-war United States. Today, the 85-year-old Ruscha continues to cast his eye over the nation, albeit one much changed – as is revealed through more than 200 works at the Museum of Modern Art, New York (10 September–13 January 2024). Highlights include early works such as Twentysix Gasoline Stations (1963), which is often considered to be the first artist’s book, and the painting Large Trademark with Eight Spotlights (1962). More recent works include Our Flag (2017), a six-by-12 foot painting of a tattered American flag that appears to be disintegrating in the wind. Find out more on the MoMA’s website.
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Large Trademark with Eight Spotlights (1962), Ed Ruscha. Whitney Museum of Modern Art, New York. © 2023 Ed Ruscha; digital image © Whitney Museum of American Art/Licensed by ScalaArt Resource, NY
Self (1967), Ed Ruscha. Museum of Modern Art; photo: Peter Butler
Standard Station, Ten-Cent Western Being Torn in Half (1964), Ed Ruscha. Courtesy Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth; © 2023 Edward Ruscha
Actual Size (1962), Ed Ruscha. Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Photo: © Museum Associates/LACMA
Our Flag (2017), Ed Ruscha. Collection Jimmy Iovine and Liberty Ross. Photo: Josh White; courtesy Gagosian; © 2023 Ed Ruscha
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