By the late 1960s, Ed Ruscha’s fascination with liquids led to some of his most inventive and iconic works. “That was around 1966,” the artist recalled. “I had reached a dead end with a certain style of painting. I’m not sure why, but I became intrigued by close-up views of liquids. I began setting up small arrangements on tables, painting them with syrup, and observing the results.” While Ruscha often leaves the specific liquids in his prints ambiguous, their varying textures and finishes evoke a wide range of substances as they playfully drift across the composition. The natural spill of the liquid, forming letters in entirely unique shapes dictated by gravity, lends these works an energy and spontaneity that push beyond the limits of the medium.

Printed by Serge Lozingot for Tamarind Lithography Workshop, Los Angeles.