GAL CHEWS GUM by Ed Ruscha
The Lapis Press
5 days left
GAL CHEWS GUM by Ed Ruscha is a bronze edition that combines multiple aspects of Ruscha's iconic vision into a single form: text, signage and shadows. The sculpture is fabricated using the ancient lost wax method of bronze casting that dates back to the 3rd millennium BC. The bronze conjures a weathered road sign or billboard flashing the words "GAL CHEWS SAME PIECE OF GUM SINCE 1970".
"I'm interested in glorifying something that we in the world would say doesn't deserve being glorified. Something that's forgotten, focused on as though it were some sort of sacred object." - Ed Ruscha
GAL CHEWS GUM speaks to several eras of Ruscha's practice in creating something simultaneously nostalgic, droll and modern. The phrase, "GAL CHEWS SAME PIECE OF GUM SINCE 1970" harkens images of small-town roadside attractions or local news headlines. Ruscha once said, "I'm dead serious about being nonsensical." Although this statement might initially read like an off-handed quip, it is highly representative of his practice and this edition. His ability to stir the viewer's imagination with a suggestive or illusive choice of words allow for both a conceptual and visual experience that leaves room for interpretation and delight.
GAL CHEWS SAME PIECE OF GUM SINCE 1970
Variations of this text appeared twice previously in Ruscha's works, indicating the artist's ongoing fascination with the phrase. In this edition, the viewer's three-dimensional experience with the text varies depending on placement of the sculpture, light sources and the space it inhabits. As the light source or vantage point changes, the phrase is boldly legible or slyly obscured as the blankness of the cut-out words are filled and activated by whatever exists behind them.
Photo Credit: Joshua White Photography
The base of GAL CHEWS GUM is cast from a metal ingot with a textured surface that stands in contrast to the smooth, refined face of the sign. A basic component used in metal work, construction and manufacturing, the ingot's raw, abstracted form exists in tension with the linear precision of the sign.
Photo Credit: Joshua White
Ideation
At the onset of the project, Ed Ruscha came to The Lapis Press with just an idea. Through different rounds of collaborating and experimenting with materials, the idea for the final result was conceived.
Ed Ruscha looking at different materials in his studio.
The Foundry
The first step in bringing this edition to life is pouring the bronze into a custom mold. Each cast requires precision and complete stillness in order to prevent air bubbles from forming.
Pouring the molten bronze into the mold.
The Water Jet
Once the process at the foundry is complete, the plates are water-jetted, where the letters are individually cut from the metal using high-pressure water.
High-pressure water cuts each letter out of the metal.
Patina
Next, the sculptures undergo a customized patina process specifically developed for this edition.
The bronze undergoing the patina process.
The Final Result
Once the patina process is completed, the sculptures are brought to The Lapis Press. Each sculpture is presented in a custom, handmade wood box, with a colophon page.
GAL CHEWS GUM in its custom presentation box.
