Ed Ruscha, WALKS TALKS FLIES SWIMS AND CRAWLS (Hand Signed by Ed Ruscha), 1992

Ed Ruscha

WALKS TALKS FLIES SWIMS AND CRAWLS (Hand Signed by Ed Ruscha), 1992

Offset lithograph invitation card (hand signed)

Vintage Robert Miller Gallery invitation card

Boldly signed in black marker by Ed Ruscha

Published on the occasion of the 1992 exhibition "Ed Ruscha Stains 1971-1975", at the Robert Miller Gallery in NYC
The card depicts an image of the work "WALKS TALKS FLIES SWIMS AND CRAWLS" - one of the original paintings in the show.
A rare collectible -- especially when hand signed by Ed Ruscha
This image is characteristic of Ruscha's style, which often explores the interplay between text and image, transforming words into visual objects. He is known for using a variety of unconventional materials in his artwork, and the particular piece which this invitation card depicts is noted for its use of gunpowder and cilantro stain on raw canvas, showcasing his experimentation with diverse media.
Interestingly, these words also subtly reference a famous American TV show that Ruscha's generation grew up with: the text "WALKS TALKS FLIES SWIMS AND CRAWLS" is a reference to actor/director Rob Reiner's famous character, Michael "Meathead" Stivic, from the television show "All in the Family", which was, of course, filmed in Hollywood - a frequent theme for Ruscha. The quote is from a scene where Michael is discussing the characteristics of different animals.
The present work is elegantly floated with a raised float and framed in a museum quality wood frame under UV plexiglass.
Measurements:
Framed:
11.25 inches vertical by 10.75 horizontal by 2 inches
Print:
6.5 inches vertical by 6 inches horizontal

ED RUSCHA BIOGRAPHY:
Ed Ruscha was born in 1937 in Omaha, Nebraska, and grew up in Oklahoma City. In 1956, he took Route 66 to California, which would become a central part of his story as an artist. Settling in Los Angeles, he studied art at Chouinard Art Institute (now California Institute of the Arts) and had an early job as a commercial illustrator. In the 1960s, inspired by artists like Raymond Hains, René Magritte, Jasper Johns, and Kurt Schwitters, Ruscha became a vibrant part of the art scene surrounding Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles.

Paramount to Ruscha’s work is that the changing nature of language —as its meaning shifts as a function of font, color, composition, and other visual effects—can be a subject for painting and drawing. He often repeats the same phrase or word in artworks over the course of many years. Often, his words and phrases have a vernacular, familiar tone, but an unfamiliar reference. Along the way, Ruscha teases out and accumulates new meanings from the expression. Though words typically take a secondary role in the history of art, Ruscha places language at the center of his practice, reflecting on contemporary life, especially in Los Angeles, with candor and humor.

Ruscha’s interest in language is frequently coupled with an interest in landscape, especially that of the American west. His words appear on road signs, buildings, and mountains, and across open skies and horizons. At times, words are strangely present through their disappearance. In early photographic work, Ruscha created documentary images and books full of swimming pools, parking lots, buildings on Sunset Boulevard, gas stations, and many other features of L.A. life. In his paintings and drawings, these same subjects combine with language to poetically evoke the changing fabric of the city through themes of evolution and destruction.

Ruscha has been living and working in the L.A. area for over sixty years. Through his innovative approach to painting, drawing, and photography, Ruscha has influenced artists worldwide and is considered to be one of the most important figures in contemporary art today.