Ed Ruscha

The Ancients Stole All Our Great Ideas

September 25 - December 2, 2012 

 "Schriftmusterbuch" (Font sample book), 16th/ early 17th century

In April 1961, a young graphic designer and artist from the American Midwest named Ed Ruscha boarded a passenger ship to Europe, accompanied by his mother Dorothy and brother Paul. From Paris they set off on a road trip that would take in seventeen countries in seven months. Ruscha's brother stayed for two months, and his mother for four. The remainder of the time he travelled alone. Among the places he visited were some of the continent's great museums: the Prado in Madrid, the Louvre in Paris, and the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. "Europe," Ruscha later recalled, "added the weight of history to the whole picture." Shortly after his return to the United States, Ruscha's debut solo exhibition opened at the legendary Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles. It marked the beginning of a remarkable career in painting, drawing, printmaking, photography and graphic design that has established him as one of the most restlessly inventive and internationally respected artists of our time.

 Exactly 50 years later, Ruscha was invited by the Kunsthistorisches Museum to return to Vienna, to spend time with its collections and curators. 
This exhibition, for which each object was personally chosen by the artist, is the result. 
LINK Museum, Vienna