Ed Ruscha

Known for: word paintings; Twentysix Gasoline Stations (1963)

Ed Ruscha moved to Los Angeles from Oklahoma City in 1956 and developed a practice drawing on graphic design, film, and the visual language of the American West — gas stations, Hollywood sign, Sunset Strip — with a flatness and deadpan wit associated with California Pop. His artist's books — Twentysix Gasoline Stations (1963), Every Building on the Sunset Strip (1966) — anticipated conceptual art's use of the photographic series and influenced artists internationally. He has lived and worked in Los Angeles throughout his career.