Details

Provenance

Private Collection, Europe Acquired from the above by the present owner Condition Colour: The colour in the catalogue illustration is fairly accurate. Condition: This work is in very good and original condition. The sheet is laid down verso to the backing board. "In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE." Catalogue Note Ed Ruscha’s The End #37 , from 2003, unites typography and landscape in order to produce an enigmatic and nostalgic composition. The present work features the word ‘End’ in a semi-transparent white hue set against a dark blue acrylic background enhanced with false celluloid scratches. It can be described as an astute imitation of a motion picture’s closing credits, yet viewers are made aware that the image represented is not an actual close-up of a film strip due to the missing sprocket perforations on the sides of the canvas. The End #37 is part of an important body of works by the American Pop artist depicting final film frames presenting the words ‘The End’ in various calligraphies sprawled against monochromatic backdrops. The artist first began working on these pieces in 1991 when he created The End #1 , emulating the projection of a black-and-white and poorly-preserved film reel now owned by the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and pursued his efforts until 2006 with the production of The End #66 . According to curator Ralph Rugoff, Ruscha’s The End paintings are “a series of canvases that portray scratched and scarred end titles from old movies, pay[ing] tribute to the imminent obsolescence of film technology” (Ralph Rugoff, ‘Heavenly Noises’, in: Exh. Cat., London, Hayward Gallery, Ed Ruscha: Fifty Years of Painting , 2009, pp. 23-24). Writer Mary Richards adds that the series “shows a fascination for the material aspect of cinema. The idea of ‘scratches on the film’ recalls 1960s works by experimental film-makers such as Stan Brakhage and Bruce Conner, whose scratched, painted and collaged negatives created extraordinary effects” (Mary Richards, Ed Ruscha , London 2008, p. 119). In other words, The End #37 , with its cloudy lettering and vertical abrasions creates the illusion of capturing a film’s last still as it slowly fades away, which metaphorically evokes the gradual obsolescence of the medium of film as well as the desuetude of the genre of experimental film today. Ruscha was born in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1937. His move to Los Angeles in 1956 and the novelty of the landscape of Southern California is what has fuelled inspiration for his creative production throughout the entirety of his career. Since the late 1950s, the artist has created thousands of single worded paintings, drawings and prints inspired by American popular culture, especially by its then-booming film industry. By combining bold calligraphies with suggestive backgrounds, the artist adds numerous layers of meaning to his carefully chosen words and invites viewers to discover highly expressive and evocative environments. The End #37 is an exceptional example of the artist’s remarkable ability to manipulate typography and landscape to create absorbing, dramatic atmospheres. This work will be included in a future volume of Edward Ruscha: Catalogue Raisonne of the Works on Paper , edited by Lisa Turvey.

Catalog summary

Ed Ruscha The End #37 signed and dated 2003 acrylic, ink and surface abrasion on museum board 60.5 by 76 cm. 23 3/4 by 29 7/8 in. Provenance Private Collection, Europe Acquired from the above by the present owner Condition Colour: The colour in the catalogue illustration is fairly accurate. Condition: This work is in very good and original condition. The sheet is laid down verso to the backing board. "In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE." Catalogue Note Ed Ruscha’s The End #37 , from 2003, unites typography and landscape in order to produce an enigmatic and nostalgic composition. The present work features the word ‘End’ in a semi-transparent white hue set against a dark blue acrylic background enhanced with false celluloid scratches. It can be described as an astute imitation of a motion picture’s closing credits, yet viewers are made aware that the image represented is not an actual close-up of a film strip due to the missing sprocket perforations on the sides of the canvas. The End #37 is part of an important body of works by the American Pop artist depicting final film frames presenting the words ‘The End’ in various calligraphies sprawled against monochromatic backdrops. The artist first began working on these pieces in 1991 when he created The End #1 , emulating the projection of a black-and-white and poorly-preserved film reel now owned by the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and pursued his efforts until 2006 with the production of The End #66 . According to curator Ralph Rugoff, Ruscha’s The End paintings are “a series of canvases that portray scratched and scarred end titles from old movies, pay[ing] tribute to the imminent obsolescence of film technology” (Ralph Rugoff, ‘Heavenly Noises’, in: Exh. Cat., London, Hayward Gallery, Ed Ruscha: Fifty Years of Painting , 2009, pp. 23-24). Writer Mary Richards adds that the series “shows a fascination for the material aspect of cinema. The idea of ‘scratches on the film’ recalls 1960s works by experimental film-makers such as Stan Brakhage and Bruce Conner, whose scratched, painted and collaged negatives created extraordinary effects” (Mary Richards, Ed Ruscha , London 2008, p. 119). In other words, The End #37 , with its cloudy lettering and vertical abrasions creates the illusion of capturing a film’s last still as it slowly fades away, which metaphorically evokes the gradual obsolescence of the medium of film as well as the desuetude of the genre of experimental film today. Ruscha was born in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1937. His move to Los Angeles in 1956 and the novelty of the landscape of Southern California is what has fuelled inspiration for his creative production throughout the entirety of his career. Since the late 1950s, the artist has created thousands of single worded paintings, drawings and prints inspired by American popular culture, especially by its then-booming film industry. By combining bold calligraphies with suggestive backgrounds, the artist adds numerous layers of meaning to his carefully chosen words and invites viewers to discover highly expressive and evocative environments. The End #37 is an exceptional example of the artist’s remarkable ability to manipulate typography and landscape to create absorbing, dramatic atmospheres. This work will be included in a future volume of Edward Ruscha: Catalogue Raisonne of the Works on Paper , edited by Lisa Turvey.