They Called Her Styrene

Photo of the cover of artist book They Called Her Styrene by, Edward Ruscha

Title

They Called Her Styrene

Description

Los Angeles-based artist Ed Ruscha, one of the seminal American artists of the past 30 years, is known for taking elements from the visual language of advertising and commercial art: he has made hundreds of 'word' prints, drawings and paintings that exhibit an interplay between bold letters and softly shaded, atmospheric backgrounds. This book reproduces close to 600 'word' artworks by Ruscha, all of which characterize his artistic scope and identity. Assembled together in the form of a thick block, making the book and art 'object' in itself, these images become a sort of novel without an obvious plot: a series of words with no narrative but, rather, with a life of their own. Some of the works consist of only one word - great , mud , trust - and others of short combinations or phrases, such as Indeed I do , She Sure Knew Her Devotionals , Your Polyester People , That Housing Tract is Only Texture , and, of course, They Called Her Styrene . In these works Ruscha's words transcend their apparent randomness to become visual icons of universal emotions and places known and imagined, exposing a dimension of multi-layered irony and threads of subtle and inventive social commentary. This volume embodies an aesthetically appealing compilation presented, in the manner of its content, with bold flair and bright colours: a book that simply cannot be left alone.

Creator

Ruscha, Edward

Publisher

London: Phaidon

Date

2000

Rights

Description provided by:
https://secure.syndetics.com/index.aspx?isbn=0714840114/summary.html&client=ohwesleyu&type=rn12

Format

[584] p. : chiefly col. ill. ; 13 x 20 cm

Location and Call Number

DEN Spec Coll N7433.4.R78 .T49 2000

Collection

Citation

Ruscha, Edward, “They Called Her Styrene,” Digital Exhibits | Denison University Archives & Special Collections, accessed March 29, 2024, https://exhibits.denisonarchives.org/items/show/1422.