Really Old, 2016
Information about the artwork
- MaterialAcrylic on canvas
- Dimensions289.6 x 193 cm
- Year of acquisition2016
- Inventory numberUAB 1082
- On viewCurrently not exhibited
- Copyright© Ed Ruscha. Courtesy of the artist and Gagosian
More about the artwork
Ed Ruscha is a trained graphic designer and his works are bold in the best sense of the word. Most of them feature clear, concise compositions with shaded backgrounds onto which isolated objects or individual words are placed. This picture was painted on a triangular canvas that he primed in a pale earthy hue: “a color that forgot it was a color,” as he explains. On it, in a font he designed himself, he has set three short phrases: “Really Old,” “1/2 Way,” and “Brand New.” Given the title, this painting could be seen a classical late work; after all, Ruscha was 78 when he finished the painting. But he refuses to define to whom or what the words might refer. Rather, it is about finding a way to express the passing of time and the change in perspective that goes hand in hand with it. A fitting motto for our anniversary—but whether we are “really old,” “halfway there,” or “brand new” lies in the eye of the beholder.
