Eddie Russia

This past weekend I was able to visit the Hayward Gallery at the Southbank Centre for a viewing of the Ed Ruscha exhibit. My previous knowledge/experience with Ed Ruscha was very limited. I knew that he was a seminal figure in the pop art movement of the 60s. I knew that his work was heavily influenced by the Los Angeles area and his experience with typography. I was also familiar with his piece titled Standard Station. That was about it.

In retrospect, I am pretty happy that I only had a rudimentary base going into the exhibit because of the excitement of new discovery as I walked through the gallery. I loved the iconic Los Angeles images such as the 20th Century Fox logo, Norm's Diner, the Hollywood sign, and the LACMA. I loved the tongue in cheek humor of the words that were chosen for the paintings. I loved the mixing of mediums - peptol bismol and silky fabrics?. But above all I loved the colors. The majority of the pieces utilized bright, rich, vibrant colors that added a sense of happiness and light heartedness to the entire exhibit.

One of my favorite pieces from the exhibit was a blue canvas with a quote from Hamlet painted in a spiraling nature. Sadly, the Goog has failed me in my brief search for a recreation of this painting. However, I did happen to write down the quote which was:

Words without thoughts never to Heaven go.

Here is a link to a large collection of the works of Ed Ruscha. Sadly, the digital copies on you computer lack much of the emotion and beauty of the full sized pieces. If there is ever an exhibit near you, check it out. It will be well worth your time.