More than a decade after the initial appearance of the distinctive Mountain motif in his paintings, Ruscha embarked on the creation of complementary prints in 2010. This collection, known as Mountain Prints, encompasses a variety of proofs including color trials, separations, and cancellations, along with numbered editions from the limited series. It offers a rare glimpse into Ruscha's experimental process within the realm of printmaking.
During his time at Chouinard Art Institute (now CalArts) in 1958, Ruscha commenced an apprenticeship with Saul Marks at Plantin Press in Los Angeles. It was here that he first delved into the print medium, driven by a desire for collaborative experimentation and a dedication to reproducibility. Since 1960, screenprints, lithographs, and etchings have played a pivotal role in Ruscha's artistic repertoire. Building on decades of collaboration, Ruscha co-founded Hamilton Press with Tamarind master printer Ed Hamilton in 1990, focusing on traditional lithography. Mountain Prints exemplifies how the exchange of skills and ideas has influenced Ruscha's dynamic compositions over time.
Displayed within the collection are works from both the numbered editions and proofs created between 2010 and 2015 at Hamilton Press. The square format of the paper accentuates the centrality of the text, with each word occupying its own line, contrasting with the receding perspective of the snow-capped mountains. Since the 1980s, Ruscha has integrated text into his landscape paintings, juxtaposing symbolic imagery with textual elements to evoke a sense of speech, sound, and form. Within Mountain Prints, cryptic and whimsically mundane phrases, such as "SPONGE PUDDLE" and "BLISS BUCKET," disrupt the tranquility of the scenic backdrop. The printmaking process infuses the landscape image with a tactile, graphic quality, enhanced by vibrant combinations of cerulean and cobalt blue, plum, pewter, tawny, and tangerine inks. Subtle variations between prints illustrate the ongoing negotiation between artist and printer, creator and artisan. Like the partnership between Hamilton and Ruscha, the success of the Mountain Prints lies in their seamless integration of content and form.