Ruscha

Following a period of experimentation with unconventional materials, Ruscha returned to using traditional mediums, like oil and pastel, to paint and draw prismatically colored and increasingly complex backgrounds. They conjure the sparkling grid of a city at night, the refraction of light in a swimming pool, and brilliant sunsets in the western United States. Yet despite their evocative imagery, Ruscha denies any deeper meaning, referring to them simply as "anonymous backdrops for the drama of words." Ruscha's use of language in his work also evolved at this time. In place of single words, the artist began depicting longer strings of text borrowed, he explained, "from memory, sometimes from dreams, sometimes from listening to the radio." Expanding on Ruscha's repertoire of sources, works in this gallery feature phrases from literature and film, conversations overheard, and the terminology found in science books. In other examples, his language is more self- referential, humorously alluding to his occupation as an artist.