I Don’t Want No Retro Spective 1979

Ed Ruscha's work, "I Don’t Want No Retro Spective," is made with watercolor, maybe even gouache, on paper. You can see the way the pink seeps through the page, like watercolor does. Ruscha’s choice of words here are amusing, delivered with a deadpan attitude that’s totally characteristic of his work. The color gives it a slightly different read— the pink makes it feel a bit vulnerable, kind of soft, which is an odd contrast with the words. I wonder, was he thinking about Duchamp when he made this? I mean, I often wonder if other artists are thinking about Duchamp, because he looms so large in our collective unconscious. It feels very related to the kind of anti-art statement that Duchamp was making, but maybe Ruscha would hate me for saying that! Whether he wanted one or not, a retrospective can offer viewers and artists alike an opportunity to see an artist's evolution, their obsessions, and their contributions to the ongoing conversation of art.