Menu
The New Contemporary Art Magazine

Kent Twitchell Honors Ed Ruscha in “The Man Who Paints Giants”

In the late 1970s, celebrated muralist Kent Twitchell began his famous artists series, featured in Hi-Fructose Vol. 37, starting with notable Los Angeles artist Ed Ruscha. Measuring 70 feet tall on the side of a downtown building, Twitchell's full-length portrait of the artist in a red silk shirt and pleated slacks took almost 9 years to complete because it was self-funded and there were other projects that came to him during that time. Why did he choose Ruscha as his first artist? "It was a gut decision," he says. "He was and is unique and seemed to characterize the American Individualist to me as McQueen did in the film world."

In the late 1970s, celebrated muralist Kent Twitchell began his famous artists series, featured in Hi-Fructose Vol. 37, starting with notable Los Angeles artist Ed Ruscha. Measuring 70 feet tall on the side of a downtown building, Twitchell’s full-length portrait of the artist in a red silk shirt and pleated slacks took almost 9 years to complete because it was self-funded and there were other projects that came to him during that time. Why did he choose Ruscha as his first artist? “It was a gut decision,” he says. “He was and is unique and seemed to characterize the American Individualist to me as McQueen did in the film world.”

Ruscha is an honored figure in Twitchell’s current show at LAM Gallery in Los Angeles, aptly titled “The Man Who Paints Giants” for his expansive career of creating monumental portraits. In addition to new works and studies, the exhibit features a portion of Twitchell’s “Return of Ed Ruscha Monument”, based on his “Ed Ruscha Monument” which he is revisiting after its removal in 2006. Upon completion, the new mural will be permanently on view at the American Hotel in the Downtown Los Angeles Arts District. It isn’t the first time that one of Twitchell’s murals have been revisited- last October, the artist restored his landmark “Freeway Lady” which was erased by a billboard company.


Kent Twitchell’s original “Ed Ruscha Monument” mural in progress.

As with his “Freeway Lady”, Twitchell takes little interest in simply making a new copy of his now thirty year-old work. Based on the studies in his exhibit, the mural’s revival offers an updated depiction featuring the now much older Ruscha: “I’ve been wanting to replace it since the day it was destroyed. I decided to repaint him the way he looks today. He was an icon then, and he really is now,” Twitchell has said. “We lose so many things, like trees and buildings. To have something from our past, that began to mean something to us in the city, come back and be appreciated- it’s kind of a magical thing.”

Meta
Share
Facebook
Reddit
Pinterest
Email
Related Articles
For the upcoming group show "PROTEST" at M16 Art Space in Canberra, Australia, Fintan Magee created a video work based on an ephemeral installation he created in a Sydney warehouse. For the piece, Magee wanted to speak out against conservative bias in Australia's news media, which he says spreads racism, homophobia, and Islamophobia. He created a wire sculpture and stuffed with with Daily Telegraph newspapers, a publication owned by ultra-rightwing media mogul Rupert Murdoch (who also owns Fox News here in the US). Magee set the sculpture in front of a mural and set it aflame. In a video included below, he explains that the man and dog in the mural represent the master-lapdog relationship between the media and its unquestioning followers. Titled "Man Bites Dog," the multimedia piece will debut at M16 Art Space on March 26.
The work of Brooklyn-based Aaron Li-Hill, who also goes by Li-Hill, is instantly recognizable for his dynamic portrayals of animals and figures, where his subjects appear suspended in motion, drawn frame-by-frame. Featured here on our blog, Li-Hill describes his art as a frenetic "storm of imagery and density", where beauty surfaces from various styles, inspired by his background in graffiti and cultural experiences. The artist just unveiled a new installation, in collaboration with the nonprofit JustKids, at the iconic Friedman-Mincer historic building in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
After painting mostly around his homeland and some cities in Europe, Barcelona-based artist Pejac (covered here) recently took off on a tour around the Far East. During his trip, he stopped in Hong Kong, Seoul and Tokyo, leaving his mark in every city. From introducing new images and concepts to recreating some familiar ones, Pejac demonstrates his ability to work in different environments or mediums. Covering various subjects, mostly referring to the places he's visiting, the new works Pejac has created range from effective window-drawings to sculptural pieces.
The Centro de Arte Contemporáneo de Málaga (aka CAC Málaga) has increasingly included urban art in its program, starting with projects in the streets. In 2014, the museum invited D*Face and Shepard Fairey to paint two massive side by side murals. The pair returned to CAC Málaga on June 26th to present two adjoining exhibitions. Notably, D*Face's "Wasted Youth" marks his first major solo museum debut in Spain. Growing up, the British artist felt stifled by the curriculum set forth by his parents and schooling, which considered anything outside the norm to be a waste of his youth. 15 years into his career, the artist looks backs with this exhibition as if to proclaim the value of following your passions.

Subscribe to the Hi-Fructose Mailing List