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Last night Americans for the Arts presented Ed Ruscha with the 2009 National Arts Award for artistic excellence, recognizing the career of a painter whose fusion of hard-edged conceptualism and Hollywood's visual impact did much to put the now-vibrant Los Angeles art scene on the map.
In a gala ceremony at New York's Cipriani 42nd Street that also honored Robert Redford, Salman Rushdie, philanthropist Sidney Harman, and Bank of America's Anne Finucane, Ruscha--whose word-emblazoned canvases often pay tribute to film title cards--wryly remarked that that he and his fellow awardees should collaborate on a project. "We could make a movie of the Satanic Verses, he said. "Robert can direct it, Salman can do the screenplay, Sidney could bankroll it, and I could design the titles. And also I can art direct the wanted poster for the five of us. We'll talk about it."
ArtWeLove caught up with the award winner after the ceremony, and it's clear that, kidding aside, the 71-year-old artist's interest in experimenting further with film--both moving and still--is no joke. Later this month Ruscha will also appear in a new film by artist Doug Aitken, to be screened on Rome's Tiber Island. And next week, Gagosian's London gallery will debut Ruscha's new illustrated version of Jack Kerouac's On the Road, which will feature rare photographs taken by the artist. "It's sort of a new thing for me," said Ruscha, dressed in a sharp, narrow lapeled black tuxedo. "Its glossy black-and-white photos, some that relate to the story and some don't. it's a departure for me but I could see it coming down the road, I could see it happening. You can't sidestep it, you can't duck it. It's there to happen."
Having begun his career at Walter Hopps' pioneering Ferus gallery in the 1960s, Ruscha helped bring attention to L.A.' art scene at a time when New York was viewed as the exclusive epicenter of contemporary practice. "Los Angeles was the Australia of the art world," the artist remembered. "It's a totally bigger picture now. But, you know, I live and work in Los Angeles but I don't get to see much art there because I'm always working. When I come to New York I get to see things." Was there anything he especially liked? "I saw the Kandinsky show--I saw the Kandy Man," he said. "It was great, a great exhibit. But I missed the Ensor, and he's one of my heroes. I missed that show but I got the catalogue. I'm happy for that."
See a mini gallery of Ruscha's art:
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