Edward Ruscha - Standard Station, 1966, screenprint, 49.6 x 93.8 cm (19 5:8 x 36 15:16 in) — Edward Ruscha – *Standard Station*, 1966, screenprint, 49.6 x 93.8 cm (19 5/8 x 36 15/16 in)

Introduction

At 78 years old, Ed Ruscha has perfected his artistic skills to the extent that he can express the noises of everyday life on a canvas. When he began his art in 1961, no one would have thought that the works that had words written over them would translate into such epic levels of fame. You, too, have probably come across his works and never stopped for a moment to think about the creativity that goes into making them. Some of these word paintings have been published in not one, not two or three volumes but a record 20 and counting.

How Ed Ruscha started out

His journey into this little-known art space began in 1964 when Ed Ruscha started experimenting with words and phrases that were often satirical but perfectly depicted life as it was in LA. Does that mean he never used photoshop? Actually, he probably never knew there would be such a thing in the future to compete with what he had invested time and creativity into. Like many artists, it was crucial for Ed Ruscha to experiment with various materials before he found one that matched the message he was trying to convey. From vinyl, gunpowder, fruit juices, blood, grass stains, and even raw eggs, he took the time to analyze the effect that each material had on the eyes and the message. Through a combination of context and creativity, Ruscha was able to develop new materials that could only be found in his works.

Starting to focus on single words

By 1962, just a year after discovering his passion for words and found a way to turn that into artworks, Ed Ruscha began using single words. Annie (1962) for instance, was an art piece that incorporates five colors. The artist uses texture on the two vast color blocks to portray depth and structure. The art piece, in general, is soothing and more so because the letters of the main word seem to be floating.

Ed Ruscha - Annie, 1962 — Ed Ruscha – *Annie*, 1962, oil and pencil on canvas, 181.6 × 170.2 cm

Ed Ruscha Interview: Words Have No Size

13 min 48 sec

Conclusion

Like many other artists that had gone before him, Ruscha’s training was basically aimed at making money. By delving into an arena where he was the most outstanding player, he managed to compound his unique style by paying attention to his surroundings. When asked about where he got his inspiration from, Ruscha opens up about his love for the spoken word and new uncommon words hidden in the dictionary.