Ed Ruscha (b. 1937, Omaha, Nebraska) is an influential American artist closely associated with the Pop art movement and the cultural landscape of Los Angeles. His multidisciplinary practice spans painting, photography, printmaking, and film, often combining words and imagery to explore the intersection between popular culture, language, and urban environments. Ruscha’s early artist books, such as “Twentysix Gasoline Stations” (1963), broke new ground and continue to influence younger generations.
Moving to Los Angeles in 1956, Ruscha became a central figure in the West Coast art scene, exhibiting alongside contemporaries like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein in the seminal “New Painting of Common Objects” (1962) show. His works are recognized for their graphic simplicity, humor, and distinctive depiction of the American landscape, and he remains a dynamic force in contemporary art with a career spanning more than six decades.