"Words come to me in dreams" artist Ed Ruscha told an interviewer a few years ago. Now two of his words, Wall Rockets, shown here in the painting of that name, have inspired an entire exhibition. "Wall Rockets: Contemporary Artists and Ed Ruscha," curated by Lisa Dennison, opened October 3 at the Flag Art Foundation in New York. The foundation makes artworks from private collections, including that of its founder, Glenn Fuhrman—available for loan to museums. Since the foundation does not keep regular visiting hours (Wall Rockets is only open to the public every Friday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.), we provide here a close look at a handful of artworks from the show.

Ed Ruscha, Wall Rockets (2000)

Courtesy the artist and Gagosian Gallery