LONDON— The first retrospective to focus exclusively on the iconic canvases of the 72-year-old Los Angeles-based artist, "Ed Ruscha: Fifty Years of Painting," on view at London’s Hayward Gallery from October 14 through January 10, sheds light on his influences, from comics to graphic design to hitchhiking. Reached at his L.A. studio, the multitalented Ruscha, who has made everything from artist’s books and drawings to films and photographs, says that, yes, he does consider himself primarily a painter, but he quickly adds, "A painter can be anybody who wants to do anything. I’m not a traditionalist." In the photo gallery at left, he relates what motivated some of the works in the show, which travels next year to the Haus der Kunst, in Munich, and the Moderna Museet, in Stockholm.

"In Retrospect: Ed Ruscha" originally appeared in the October 2009 issue of Art+Auction. For a complete list of articles from this issue available on ARTINFO, see Art+Auction's October 2009 Table of Contents.