Ed Ruscha was born in 1937 in Omaha and grew up in Oklahoma City. He moved to Los Angeles in 1956 to study at Chouinard Art Institute and soon became known for cool, understated images of words, petrol stations and the wide streets of the city. In the 1960s he also made influential artist books, including Twentysix Gasoline Stations and Every Building on the Sunset Strip, which treated the book as an artwork in its own right.
Over many years he has worked with oil and acrylic as well as unusual materials like gunpowder and organic liquids. His art sits between Pop and Conceptual approaches, mixing everyday language with a dry sense of humour and a clear eye for the look of American life.
Ruscha has had major exhibitions in the United States and Europe, and his work is held by museums such as MoMA and Tate. He remains a touchstone for artists interested in language, landscape and the culture of the road.