Print as Art

Los Angeles-based contemporary artist Ed Ruscha (pronounced roo-SHAY) has a thing for books. And we’re not referring to literature itself, but actual physical books (he claims not to even be a great reader). Ruscha is not taken with the digital reading revolution as of late. He doesn’t read on an iPad or Kindle; he doesn’t even use a computer. From early in his career, Ruscha has always sort of seen printed matter as sculptural objects, as works of art in and of themselves. His early appreciation for commercial design and typography set the stage for his fascination of books and how to make them. Since then, Ruscha has produced and painted countless books, many of which are currently on display at New York’s Gagosian Gallery show Books & Co. (read more here), along with work by more than 100 contemporary artists inspired by him.

Via nytimes.com and edruscha.com