Ed Ruscha is an American Pop Art artist who is famous for his photographs and paintings. He lived in Los Angeles, California for over a decade and created works of art based on the everyday things he saw, such as gas stations and restaurants, and experienced while living there. The painting on the left was created by me after being inspired by Ed Ruscha and his work. I’ve lived in California for virtually all of my life, and the things that remind me of home are the sun, the moon, the ocean, palm trees, the famous HB pier and Ruby’s restaurant, and the neon red letter signs in diners and shops.
While watching a short documentary about Ed Ruscha (linked here) what really stood out to me was how he used unconventional objects and mediums like jelly, gunpowder, and tobacco to play with different textures for lettering and painting. I’ve never heard or seen anything like it, and I was fascinated by Ruscha’s relaxed confidence and innovative approach to what art means and looks like, making the viewers or the audience tilt their heads in wonder and confusion and think “what the heck does that mean?” Or at least that was my initial reaction. Ruscha and his art inspired me to create something that represented some of the things that I love most about living in California, and redefined my perspective on what art is and can be.
