The Easel

As Los Angeles Changes, Ed Ruscha Stays the Same

Ruscha’s first job, at an ad agency, was a sign of things to come. Indifferent to the charms of abstract expressionism, he wanted to be “completely premeditated”. Hence, his career has been spent making word images and buildings that express a West Coast vernacular. This style doesn’t seem to have a name, just a general description: “he takes something incredibly familiar and gives it this level of ambiguity.”