Ed Ruscha is no stranger to the power of letters, having had used irreverent language in his work since the 60s and carving out a unique style in the pop art movement. “I like the idea of a word becoming a picture, almost leaving its body, then coming back and becoming a word again,” Ruscha once said of his paintings. This approach to incorporation of language into visual art is fully evident in the gracefully light S that fills the organic light brown visual space of the raw canvas. We can see the weave of the canvas stretch and warp, full of unassuming simplicity and unadulterated beauty. The red S gives the illusion of being a part of the weave, living in harmony with the linen fibers around it, without presuming to sit on top of the canvas surface and claiming frontality. There is a serenity to the piece, evocative of rural road signs and quaint stores, a reoccurring atmosphere in Ruscha’s oeuvre. Dedicated to Ruscha’s daughter, Sonny, the piece is beautiful in its richness of texture and quietly mesmerizing in its simplicity.

Created in 2001, this acrylic on raw linen canvas is hand signed and dated by Ed Ruscha (Nebraska, 1937 - ) on verso. This is a unique and original work.

Signed, dedicated and dated "Ed Ruscha 2001 For Sonny" on the reverse

Provenance
Sonny Bjornson, Los Angeles
William Griffin Gallery, Los Angeles
Kitty Bowe Hearty, Miami
Christie's, New York, May 10, 2008, lot 189
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:
Ed Ruscha S, 2001 is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts.

1. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this artwork.

2. Robert Dean, Edward Ruscha: Catalogue Raisonne of the Paintings, Volume Six: 1998-2003, New York, 2013, no. P2001.33, p. 272-273 --- From Phillips sale

About the Framing:
Framed to museum-grade, conservation standards, Ed Ruscha S, 2001 is presented in a complementary moulding.