Ed Ruscha

Wisconsin Bookwatch, March, 2006

Ed Ruscha

Richard D. Marshall

Phaidon Press

180 Varick Street, 14th fl, NY, NY 10014

0714845485 $39.95 www.phaidon.com

Ed Ruscha is a vast gallery of photographer and artist Ed Ruscha's (b. 1937) works. Centering around the popular and often mercantile culture of his Los Angeles home, Ruscha's creations often focus on blending text with art - such as the word "Vanish" spread against a red background fading to black near the top. An avant-garde modern art edge distinguishes this monograph, with many works featuring a crisp and sharp outline or stylized arrangements of text that appear practically 21st century rather than 20th. Very little written text intersperses the monograph; independent curator and critic Richard D. Marshall offers insightful reflections upon Ruscha's creations, but the majority of Ed Ruscha is devoted entirely to the artworks themselves in all their visual and colorful splendor. A dashing contribution to modern and forward-thinking artbook shelves.