15th January – 12th February Small Gallery, Inverness Museum & Art Gallery 14th – 19th February IG:LU, 19 Church Street, Inverness 21st February – 25th March Foyer, Highland Council HQ 4th April – 6th May Eden Court
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Rus cha’ Roo s m Seòmraichean Luchd-ealain Inverness Museum & Art Gallery 15th January – 12th February 2011 ‘Ruscha’s Room’ is a collection of innovative artworks produced by creative young minds in the Highlands in response to an exhibition of the work of one of America’s greatest living artists which was on show at Inverness Museum & Art Gallery in autumn 2010. The exhibition was ‘ED RUSCHA – Major Works from 4 Decades’* and is one of the ARTIST ROOMS jointly owned and managed by National Galleries of Scotland and Tate on behalf of the nation. In response to the exhibition pupils from FORTROSE, KILCHUIMEN, MILLBURN, ALNESS & INVERGORDON Academies attended a series of talks and workshops with BRIAN MACBEATH, GRAEME ROGER and DUNCAN MARSHALL, exploring Ruscha’s unconventional methods - which combine typography with commonplace objects - creating text-based art in the form of collages and animated films, many of which appear in this publication. As part of the project the pupils emailed questions to Ed Ruscha in L.A. and his intriguing responses are included here. The young people are now having an unmissable exhibition of their work entitled ‘RUSCHA’S ROOM’ at Inverness Museum & Art Gallery until 12th February. (*ED RUSCHA – Major Works from Four Decades is currently showing at the Swanson Gallery, Thurso until 26th February)
Ed Ruscha: Born in 1937 in America’s Midwest, Ed Ruscha grew up in Oklahoma City. In 1956, aged 18, he set out for California, driving 1,500 miles west on the legendary Route 66. Arriving in Los Angeles, he enrolled at the Chouinard Art Institute, a Disney-sponsored art school where he studied fine art alongside typesetting and graphic design. From works that feature single onomatopoeic words and declamatory phrases, to signature images such as the gas station, Ruscha began to make paintings that were premeditated and planned, in which text and imagery from everyday life converged. By the early 1960s he was perceived to have created a new form of visual landscape.
Over the past half-century, Ruscha’s art has evolved in unpredictable ways but the things that first fired his imagination – cinema and film; driving; roadside signs; the flat, featureless landscapes of the American West; the city, filled with constant visual noise; the phenomenon of human communication and the pleasures of typography – remain the basis for his art.
(‘ED RUSCHA – Major Works from Four Decades’ is currently showing at the Swanson Gallery, Thurso until 26th February and Timespan, Helmsdale 5th March – 16th April) For further information about the exhibition please contact Cathy Shankland, Exhibitions Officer, Cathy.Shankland@highland.gov.uk Tel. 01463 710978 For further information about Education programme please contact Lynn Johnson, Arts Links Officer, Lynn.Johnson@highland.gov.uk Tel. 01463 239841 ED RUSCHA images from top, L–R: ‘Standard Study #3’ ‘SMELLS LIKE BACK OF OLD HOT RADIO’
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‘PRETTY EYES, ELECTRIC BILLS’ ‘RED ROOSTER’ ‘HONK’ ARTIST ROOMS National Galleries of Scotland and Tate Acquired jointly through the d’Offay Donation with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and The Art Fund 2008
ALNESS ACADEMY vs ED RUS CHA 33
Is it just words and lettering you use or do you use other symbols? Pupil, Alness Academy
“I CONSIDER ANY RECOGNIZABLE IMAGE TO BE A SYMBOL AND AM CONSTANTLY USING THEM.”
ARTIST ROOMS National Galleries of Scotland and Tate Acquired jointly through the d’Offay Donation with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and The Art Fund 2008
Ed Ruscha ‘HOPE’
Today I saw your picture HOPE, 1998 which at first I thought was hope fading away or is it that hope is fading away the darkness? Rhys, Alness Academy In the picture HOPE, 1998 why the use of black which is usually associated with sadness? Pupil, Fortrose Academy
[Answer to both questions:] “THE WORD CAN BE LOOKED AT IN MANY WAYS – THE VIEWER’S INTERPRETATION CAN BE AS IMAGINATIVE AND RESOURCEFUL AS THE ARTIST WHO PAINTED IT.”
FORTRO SE ACADEM Y
vs EDRUSC HA
4
What techniques do you use when using pastels? David, Fortrose Academy
“I GRIND DOWN THE PASTEL UNTIL IT IS A POWDER THEN RUB IT INTO THE PAPER. THIS SEEMS TO BE THE BEST WAY TO GET WHAT I THINK I WANT.” When did you first realise you wanted to be an artist? Amy, Fortrose Ac
“ABOUT AGE 12, WHEN I REALIZED I DIDN’T HAVE THE APTITUDE TO BE A DOCTOR.”
What is your favourite word? Stuart, Fortrose Academy
“SO”.
What does it take to be an artist? I mean is it hard work? Lewis, Invergordon Academy
“I KNOW WHAT IT DOESN’T TAKE TO BE AN ARTIST AND THAT IS THE NEED TO FOLLOW RULES. IT MIGHT BE A STRUGGLE BUT YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW A PATH OF YOUR OWN CREATION.”
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INVER G ORDON Acade my vs E dr usch A
What influenced you to make the ‘HOLLYWOOD’ painting (Dec 30th 2005)? Nikkita, Invergordon Academy (and pupil, Alness Academy)
“TO ME, “HOLLYWOOD” IS LARGE METAL AND WOODEN LETTERS ON THE HILLSIDE OUTSIDE MY STUDIO WINDOW. IF I COULD NOT SEE IT THEN THE SKY WAS OVERCAST OR SMOGGY. I USED THE SIGN LIKE A WEATHERVANE AND PAINTED A PORTRAIT OF THE SCENE OUTSIDE MY WINDOW.”
KilchuimeN a cad emy 6 vs Edru sch a
Why do you use words as art and what made you start using text in your creations? Tessa, Kilchuimen Academy & Dale, Invergordon Academy
“WORDS IN HORIZONTAL LINES ARE LIKE OBJECTS LINED UP ON A TABLE AND I’VE ALWAYS LIKED STILL LIFES.”
Where do you get your inspiration from and what influences you? Emily, Kilchuimen Academy & Rosie, Fortrose Academy
“OFTEN I AM INFLUENCED BY PICTURES AND EVENTS THAT I DON’T LIKE OR HAVE ANY INTEREST IN. THESE NEGATIVE INFLUENCES TURN OUT TO BE POSITIVE.” Do you prefer to work more with words than, say, objects? Susan, Kilchuimen Academy
“THIS DEPENDS ON MY MOOD AT THE TIME, AND SOMETIMES I CAN’T EVEN DECIDE.”
How do you select your tex t (what you say) and do you plan the rest of the pic ture before or after that? Hannah, Millburn Academ y
“I FOLLOW ANY ORDER THAT I THINK WILL PRODUCE AN INTERESTING PICTURE AND IT SOMETIMES COMES TO ME IN A FLASH. BUT OFTEN THE MOTIVE MOVES ALONG LIKE TREACLE .” think is a more Have you ever worked in what we would etc? Art Teacher ait, portr , cape lands e.g. way nal conventio
F AND “MOST ARTISTS START BY ADAPTING STIF E TO HAV MUNDANE TECHNIQUES, THEN THEY ON.” MOVE ON TO A MORE PERSONAL VISI
MILL B URN ACaD EMY vs 7 EDRUSC HA
SO WHAT DID THE PUPILS & STAFF THINK OF IT ALL?
“It was one of the best things I have ever done!” Pupil,
Invergordon Academy
ARTIST ROOMS On Tour is an inspired partnership with the Art Fund - the fundraising charity for works of art, and the Scottish Government, making available the ARTIST ROOMS collection of international contemporary art to galleries throughout the UK. ARTIST ROOMS is jointly owned by Tate and National Galleries of Scotland and was established through The d’Offay Donation in 2008, with the assistance of the National Heritage Memorial Fund,
“Participating in this initiative connected well to the capacities, outcomes and experiences within Curriculum for Excellence as it allowed the pupils to experience new areas of education and expertise boosting their confidence and self esteem”
the Art Fund and the Scottish and British Governments.
Joan Anderson, Teacher, Invergordon Academy.
(art talks)
“I really enjoyed the exhibition, loved the paintings. My favourite type of art is typography” Pupil, Millburn Academy.
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Acknowledgements: Pupils & Staff of:
FORTROSE ACADEMY, KILCHUIMEN ACADEMY, MILLBURN ACADEMY, ALNESS ACADEMY and INVERGORDON ACADEMY
Graeme Roger
(film workshops & print design)
Duncan Marshall (art workshops)
Brian MacBeath ICA
(‘zine) For further information about the exhibition please contact: Cathy Shankland, Exhibitions Officer Cathy.Shankland@highland.gov.uk For further information about the education programme please contact: Lynn Johnson – Arts Links Officer Lynn.Johnson@highland.gov.uk