I Don’t Want No Retro Spective 1979

Edward Ruscha made this declarative statement, ‘I Don’t Want No Retro Spective’ with dry pigment on paper. The words sit there, white against this hazy pink ground. You can almost hear him saying it. The materiality here is interesting: that dry pigment—maybe it’s egg tempera—is so matter-of-fact. It creates a very matte surface. See how the pink is soft and washy, like a watercolor, but chalkier? It’s a strange mix, and it makes the text feel immediate, like it was dashed off. But if you look closely, there’s a definite tension between the casual nature of the medium and the crisp, architectural letterforms, which lend the work an almost corporate feel. This interest in text as image, I think, speaks to the influence of someone like Jasper Johns, who was working with language in his paintings a few decades earlier. But with Ruscha, the words are bigger, bolder, and more confrontational, maybe a little funny even. It’s like he’s saying, art doesn’t have to be so serious, so precious. It’s a refreshing idea, don't you think?