The Museum of Modern Art presents ED RUSCHA / NOW THEN. This retrospective dedicated to the post-war American artist presents over 200 works to guide the visitors through his career, that include paintings, drawings, photographs film and installation.

Exploring Ed Ruscha's landmark contributions to postwar America art as well as lesser-known aspects of his more than 60 year career, the exhibition offers new perspectives on a body of work that has influenced a generation of artists and creators. This retrospective also makes the artist's biggest show to the date.

The exhibition offers new perspectives on a body of work that has influenced a generation of artists and creators

Edward Ruscha born in Omaha in 1937 raised in Oklahoma, moved to Los Angeles in 1956 to study commercial art. The paintings from this period are the starting point to this exhibition co-curated in collaboration with LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art). Ruscha had his solo debut in 1963, going on to 60 years of artistic production that won him global acclaim and a spot as the U.S. representative at the 2005 Venice Biennale.

Ruscha had his solo debut in 1963, going on to 60 years of artistic production that won him global acclaim and a spot as the U.S. representative at the 2005 Venice Biennale.

Cross-media displays throughout the retrospective offers insight into Ruscha’s unique working methods. Visitors have the opportunity to trace the migration of subjects across media—following, for example, an image of a Standard Oil gasoline station from a small black-and-white reproduction in his self-published artist’s book, Twentysix Gasoline Stations (1963) to the monumental oil paintings made shortly after, which remain among Ruscha’s most recognizable works. The exhibition will also highlight the artist’s continual experimentation with new materials and techniques, featuring drawings made with gunpowder, airbrushed paintings of enigmatic silhouettes, and vintage drum skins emblazoned with text.

Cross-media displays throughout the retrospective offers insight into Ruscha’s unique working methods.

As part of this exhibition, Ruscha’s multisensory Chocolate Room (1970), the artist’s only single-room installation, will be presented in New York for the first time. Created for the United States pavilion during the 35th Venice Biennale in 1970, it represents a major moment in his use of unexpected materials due to its immersive scale and ephemeral nature. To create the work, the artist screen printed chocolate paste onto hundreds of sheets of paper, lining the walls from floor to ceiling. Following its original presentation in Venice, the work has been prefabricated for subsequent installations by the artist’s preferred fabricator, La Paloma Fine Arts, who will be producing Chocolate Room on site for its presentation at MoMA.

As part of this exhibition, Ruscha’s multisensory Chocolate Room (1970), the artist’s only single-room installation, will be presented in New York for the first time.

The exhibition ED RUSCHA / NOW THEN will be displayed at the MoMA through January 13th, 2024