Ed Ruscha’s nostalgic ode to Oklahoma
‘Ed Ruscha: OKLA’, the pioneering American artist's first solo exhibition in his home state, explores the impact of Oklahoma on his storied career

One might associate Ed Ruscha with sun-drenched cityscapes of Los Angeles, a filtered California cool rendered in his unmistakable linear pop and instructive, provocative text-based works. But Ed Ruscha is not from Los Angeles, he’s from Oklahoma, a city which, as a new exhibition at Oklahoma Contemporary proves, left a lasting impact on his career.
‘The mythos of Ed Ruscha is tied to Americana and the open road, both of which are rooted in his childhood here,’ says Oklahoma Contemporary artistic director Jeremiah Matthew Davis. It was 1956 when Ruscha took his first road trip, aged 18, from Oklahoma to Los Angeles, to forge a career as an artist.
Four years in the making, ‘Ed Ruscha: OKLA’ marks the artist’s first solo show in his childhood state and looks back on its influence on his 60-year career.
OK (State I), 1990. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Gift of The Jane & Marc Nathanson Family Foundation © Ed Ruscha
The show is an ode to Oklahoma. It references the city’s geography, vernacular and industry, gazing through the lens of midwestern midcentury American culture through more than 70 works, paintings and a large-scale installation to drawings, prints, books, photos and film. Visitors can expect to encounter iconic pieces such as Twentysix Gasoline Stations and Chocolate Room alongside more recent works such as two Drum Skins paintings.
RELATED STORY
The show is structured around five core themes: Oklahoma OK explores the multitude of references to the city directly in Ruscha’s work. Made in U.S.A. surveys the artist’s perspective as an American and his frequent depictions of the decline of American manufacturing industries, to more potent political statements. 51% Angel, 49% Devil explores the artist’s Catholic upbringing and Pop Origins traces Ruscha’s myriad references to the popular culture motifs of his 1940’s childhood, including movies, comics and advertising. Finally, US 66 delves into the expansive vistas and mythology of the route west, a path well-trodden by the artist as he repeatedly returned to his roots in Oklahoma City.
Big Inventions that Make a Big Difference, 1984.
Twentysix Gasoline Stations from Book Covers, 1970.
Ed Ruscha, Twentysix Gasoline Stations, 1963 (printed 1969). Collection of the artist © Ed Ruscha.
Portrait of Ed Ruscha. Courtesy of Ed Ruscha and Gagosian
Desert Gravure, 2006. Collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer.
Sin, 1970. UBS Art Collection.
Trademark, 1962. UBS Art Collection.
Installation view of 'Ed Ruscha: OKLA'. © Ed Ruscha.
Installation view of 'Ed Ruscha: OKLA'. © Ed Ruscha.
INFORMATION
’Ed Ruscha: OKLA’, until 5 July 2021, Oklahoma Contemporary
oklahomacontemporary.org
edruscha.com
ADDRESS
11 NW 11th St
Oklahoma City, OK 73103
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Harriet Lloyd-Smith was the Arts Editor of Wallpaper*, responsible for the art pages across digital and print, including profiles, exhibition reviews, and contemporary art collaborations. She started at Wallpaper* in 2017 and has written for leading contemporary art publications, auction houses and arts charities, and lectured on review writing and art journalism. When she’s not writing about art, she’s making her own.
-
Venerable British car-maker AC goes OTT with the high-output, low-slung AC GT SuperSport
Pitched at all-American fans of the original AC Cobra, the GT SuperSport is a fearsome two-seat roadster with more muscle than ever before
-
The dynamic young gallerists reinvigorating America's art scene
'Hugging has replaced air kissing' in this new wave of galleries with craft and community at their core
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the week
While a few of our editors were in Europe for various showcases and launches, others stayed local, uncovering new cuisines, eccentric exhibitions and glorious gardens this side of the Channel
-
The dynamic young gallerists reinvigorating America's art scene
'Hugging has replaced air kissing' in this new wave of galleries with craft and community at their core
-
Meet the New York-based artists destabilising the boundaries of society
A new show in London presents seven young New York-based artists who are pushing against the borders between refined aesthetics and primal materiality
-
After decades capturing the world’s fashion-set, photographer Johnny Rozsa picks up a paint brush
In his first exhibition of paintings, the New York-based artist celebrates the vibrancy of Tangier while rediscovering a familiar creative outlet
-
Leila Bartell’s cloudscapes are breezily distorted, a response to an evermore digital world
‘Memory Fields’ is the London-based artist’s solo exhibition at Tristan Hoare Gallery (until 25 July 2025)
-
Marlene Dumas’ charged, exposed and intimate figures gather in Athens
The artist’s work from 1992 until the present day goes on show at Athens’ Museum of Cycladic Art (until 2 November)
-
Mystic, feminine and erotic: the power of Penny Slinger’s bodies as landscape
Artist Penny Slinger continues her exploration of the sacred, surreal feminine in a Santa Monica exhibition, ‘Meeting at the Horizon’
-
Get lost in Megan Rooney’s abstract, emotional paintings
The artist finds worlds in yellow and blue at Thaddaeus Ropac London
-
Kaari Upson’s unsettling, grotesque and seductive world in Denmark
The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark is staging the first comprehensive survey of late artist Kaari Upson’s work