Ed Ruscha

Ed Ruscha (born 1937) is an artist who is best known for his combinations of typography, landscapes, and clean color palette. This was a clear departure from the art era that preceded him, the more gesture-based Abstract Expressionism movement. Ruscha's work often incorporates a subtle, deadpan humor through his juxtaposition of opposites. In his use of text layered upon his images, he draws attention to dichotomies of high versus low culture and urban versus rural lifestyle. He resists being pigeon-holed into any particular art movement, however his work incorporates elements of Pop Art and Conceptualism. The appropriation of mass-produced imagery, especially surrounding the car culture of Los Angeles is one reason he is particularly associated with Pop Art.  He also published a series of conceptual photographic artist’s books including Thirty Four Parking Lots in Los Angeles and Every Building on the Sunset Strip.