Edward Ruscha

Text and Textuality

Beet Juice

Pepto Bismol

Free Interpretation

Postmodernism

Cheetos

Contemporary art workshops present to us that the more money we spend on supplies, the better our art. I LOVE working with fine art supplies. We grimace with the supplies we must provide out students. We go to art conferences for more ideas on how to scrounge, scrape, beg. I’ve done it all. And then I saw Ed Ruscha’s exhibit at the MOMA in San Francisco.

Bingo!

I remembered that art was so much about expression I (I need that reminder once in a while). I adored his subtle humor, puns, experiments, and playfulness. He painted with pastels and drew with pencils. But he also made art using Pepto Bismol, carrots, spinach and onion juice…..

Ed Ruscha, 1975onion stalks and juice on paper

We talked about how art is SO much about what a viewer brings to a piece- what the experiences he has before standing in front of this piece of art- and what experiences each of them in that very classroom brought to this one Ruscha.   

We talked about the difference between safe, cute, and image ready (loud socks, three new sketchpads, don’t pet the dog) and imagination provoking (apples floundering in the depth, 45:29:31, wily lightning in a bottle). We laughed a lot……and they GOT it!!