Cotton Puffs, Q-Tips, Smoke and Mirrors: The Drawings of Ed Ruscha

Gunpowder, tobacco, coffee, rose petals, lettuce and blood are just a few of the unorthodox materials used by California-based artist Ed Ruscha, whose work is featured in this sumptuously produced monograph of drawings. Produced in conjunction with a career retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art, this catalog features over 200 reproductions of the artist's sly and meticulously rendered drawings of stock phrases from pop culture (e.g.""Hollywood Calif,""""Babycakes,""""20th Century Fox""). The drawings are accompanied by two rather disjointed essays by exhibit curator Rowell and MoCA LA curator Butler. Rowell's essay focuses on the artist's working process, explaining that one reason Ruscha drew with gunpowder was because it was an easier medium to manipulate than graphite. She also points out some salient links between the artist's drawings and his interest in photography. Butler takes a more conceptual approach, examining the content of Ruscha's drawings and his working materials through a theoretical and thematic lens. While both essays offer welcome insights into the work of a highly mercurial artist, Rowell's reliance on stiff art historical jargon and Butler's disorganized presentation make for dense reading. Part of their difficulty may be that the drawings themselves, with their sparklingly light irony and deft, masterly touch, have strange, otherworldly resonances that are difficult to pin down with words. Ultimately, it's the strength of the work itself that makes this book a must-have for any Ruscha fan. 250 illus.