Ed Ruscha at LACMA

LACMA’s ED RUSCHA / NOW THEN is Ed Ruscha’s first retrospective in over twenty years. As a defining figure of postwar American art, Ruscha has drawn inspiration from Los Angeles throughout his career. In this exhibition, LACMA presents 250 artworks from across all media, including painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, and artist’s books. The comprehensive exhibition places his most acclaimed artworks like Standard Station (1966) alongside lesser-known aspects of his practice. 

With a career spanning over sixty years, Ruscha has consistently “held up a mirror to American society,” particularly consumer and pop culture. Perhaps one of the most special features of this retrospective is the inclusion of Ruscha’s installation Chocolate Room, which was first produced in Venice, Italy in 1970. Visitors can immerse themselves in the rich, overwhelming scent as they walk into the gallery space, which is paneled floor to ceiling with chocolate.

Photo: Edward Ruscha, Standard Station, 1966, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Museum Acquisition Fund © Ed Ruscha, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA.