Ed Ruscha Orange "Ombre"

From: The Museum of Contemporary Art
Limited Edition: 26
Exhibition: The Drawings of Ed Ruscha
Material: Printed 2-ply vinyl
Dimensions: 35" x 96" (88cm x 243cm)

Hanging Hardware Included

 

Description

Known for his “word paintings”, Ed Ruscha himself might appreciate this text-only banner! Large, bold black letters with squarish, angled corners have a commanding presence on the warm background that blends from yellow to orange to red. The letters really stand out on this gradually shaded, or ombré, background. Backgrounds like this, playing upon light and the gradation of color are often featured in Ruscha’s own works. In “Lisp” (1968) and “HONEY, I TWISTED THROUGH MORE DAMN TRAFFIC TODAY” (1977), his style combines with the meaning and sound of the words selected to create works of great visual interest and impact.

The full title of the exhibition, as originally organized by the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, was “Cotton Balls, Q-Tips®, Smoke and Mirrors: The Drawings of Ed Ruscha.” That title pretty much sums up not only his unusual art supplies, but also the elusive nature of his drawings.

The bold black text on the banner includes the name of the exhibition it promoted, “The Drawings of ED RUSCHA”. Smaller white text includes the location, “MOCA GRAND AVENUE” and the dates of the exhibition “Oct 17, 2004 – Jan 17, 2005”. Both sides of the banner are identical. Another version of this banner features a cool blue background.

Provenance

These banners were hung around Los Angeles to promote the exhibition The Drawings of Ed Ruscha which ran from October 17, 2004 through January 17, 2005. The show was organized by the Whitney Museum of American Art, where it was shown from June 24 to September 26, 2004. It was also seen at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC from February 13 to May 30, 2005.

About the Artist

Learn more about Ed Ruscha