The UBS Art Collection presents 54 works by Ed Ruscha, one of the most iconic contemporary artists, at the esteemed Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk, Denmark. This group of paintings, works on paper, and prints was assembled over the course of decades starting in the 1960s, a moment that marked both the genesis of the collection and the beginnings of the artist’s career. This is the first time that the works will be exhibited together in one place to the public.
Ruscha’s oeuvre is not easily confined to a category.
Ruscha employs everyday objects such as comics or consumer products. Gasoline stations, a signature subject of the L.A. based artist, are referenced in several works. Another highlight will be six variations of the famed 20th Century Fox movie studio logo that the artist could see from his studio in East Hollywood. Ruscha’s more conceptual works depicting playful single words and phrases, which are telling of his background in the advertising industry, feature prominently in the exhibition.
Mary Rozell, Global Head of the UBS Art Collection states: “Ed Ruscha is among America’s most recognized and influential living artists. The UBS Art Collection is fortunate to have a significant body of works by Ruscha, a concentration unsurpassed by that of any other artist and one that greatly enhances its distinctive character. In retrospect, Ruscha’s work is not without a certain nostalgia, for the pre-digital age of ubiquitous signage, the seduction of nascent Hollywood and vanishing totems of the American lifestyle. It is hard to imagine a more inviting venue to debut this presentation than the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, which is one of the museum world’s true gems, known internationally for its focused and intelligent exhibitions, and graced with a spectacular setting.”
Anders Kold, Curator and Head of Acquisitions at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art and curator of the exhibition, adds: “Through the generosity of the UBS Art Collection we have gained access to a splendid panorama of Ed Ruscha’s works. Some fifty works on paper enable us to examine the most well-known motifs and conceptual proposals carried out over almost sixty years. The quality of the works is stunning and runs into all corners of what an artist can pursue on paper – and in this way an ideal contribution to the ongoing Louisiana On Paper series.”
The UBS Art Collection is at the core of UBS’s commitment to contemporary art and is widely recognized as one of the most important corporate collections with more than 30,000 works including paintings, photographs, drawings, prints and sculptures by artists from more than 70 countries. Recent acquisitions include works by Derrick Adams, Etel Adnan, Ding Yi, Sam Gilliam, Sheila Hicks, Carrie Moyer, Catherine Opie, Trevor Paglen, and Shahzia Sikander.