20 20 20 1962

Ed Ruscha made this artwork by using a screen printing technique, resulting in the uniform red color contrasting the paper. I can imagine Ruscha playing with this text and creating this pattern, which is like a playful and conceptual game, reminiscent of Jasper Johns or the Pop Art movement. The numbers are bold and slightly tilted, as if they are dancing across the surface. The blank surface suggests a sense of emptiness, inviting contemplation and reflecting the cultural landscape of Los Angeles. Like other artists, Ruscha has the gift of seeing with a child’s fresh eyes, and he is able to show us that the most ordinary things are worthy of reflection and admiration. Ruscha has the freedom to play with the ambiguity between legibility and abstraction. This challenges our perception and reminds us that art is an ongoing dialogue.