Too simple, Too Complex
Words can either deliver long lasting meanings in the simplicity of its delivery or it can be just as it was intended, simple words meant to carry thoughts to thoughts. Ed Ruscha's obsession with words led the Pop Art world into a pool of enticing cultural context that could not be simply categorized into one simple genre. To him, his work was more than just words on paper, it bared his entire being. So when his artwork began to gain momentous attention, it was no surprise to anyone.
Yet the more I watched him, learned his life, his style, I just couldn’t understand why he gained as much attention as he did. Why was he getting so much attention from putting worlds like “OOF” on a blue canvas? I understand that it was because it was different from what the ubiquitous style of art there was during that time, but I don’t understand why he would be named as “one of the most important artists in the 1960s” by Tate. Maybe it was because during that time, contrasting styles gave cultural differences that gave the Swinging Sixties its juice. Maybe people just thought, “ Yeah I like this style” and slapped a price on it and called it cutting-edge. Or maybe I didn’t think deep enough, my thoughts too simple.