Back to the Drawing Board: Ed Ruscha, Art, and Design in the 1960s

Ed Ruscha's work is explored through the lens of commercial art and design in Jennifer Quick's book, Back to the Drawing Board. Quick demonstrates how Ruscha's training and early work as a commercial artist helped him become an incisive commentator on the presence and role of design in the modern world.

Format: Hardback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 01 April 2022
Publisher: Yale University Press

Ed Ruscha, a renowned artist who emerged onto the Los Angeles art scene in the mid-20th century, gained recognition for his paintings that incorporated everyday consumer products like Spam and Sun-Maid raisins. In her groundbreaking book, Jennifer Quick delves into and beyond the consumer imagery found in Ruscha's work, examining it through the lenses of commercial art and design. Quick explores how Ruscha's training as a commercial artist and his early experiences in the field shaped his unique artistic style.

Back to the Drawing Board: Ed Ruscha and the Art of Commercial Design takes readers on a journey through Ruscha's artistic development, focusing on the early years of his career. Through meticulous analysis of previously unseen works from the Ruscha archives, alongside his celebrated paintings, prints, and books, Quick demonstrates how Ruscha's engagement with commercial art has been fundamental to his practice. By examining the scale, paste-up layout, and perspective techniques employed in commercial design, Quick sheds light on how Ruscha repurposed these tools to create his distinctive visual language.

Through this insightful lens, Quick affirms Ruscha as a powerful and witty observer of the vast network of imagery that permeates visual culture. She offers fresh perspectives on Pop and conceptual art, challenging traditional notions of artistic autonomy and exploring the ways in which commercial influences shape and influence artistic expression.

In conclusion, Jennifer Quick's book Back to the Drawing Board: Ed Ruscha and the Art of Commercial Design is a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of art, design, and consumer culture. It provides a deep understanding of Ruscha's artistic process and sheds light on the significant role that commercial art and design have played in shaping his work. Quick's insightful analysis and compelling storytelling make this book a valuable contribution to the field of art history and criticism.

Weight: 892g
Dimension: 188 x 265 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780300256925