Ed Ruscha: Unit

Printed in Venice, California, by Hamilton Press on Hahnemühle German etching paper, this lithograph by Ed Ruscha pictures the term of its title in the delicate Garamond font that the artist increasingly began employing in the twenty-first century. The single word rests atop a gently curved expanse suggestive of the earth, with a horizontal band of orange evoking one of Ruscha’s signature sunset vistas. In this cancellation proof, the word’s last two letters (“it”) are printed in orange only, demonstrating Ruscha’s inveterate knack for discerning words within other words.