Ed Ruscha's Writings and Interviews Published in French Translation

Éditions jrp/ringier and Maison Rouge have published a French translation of Ed Ruscha's collected writings and interviews, originally compiled by Alexandra Schwartz in 2002 as "Leave any Information at the Signal." The project was initiated by Patricia Falguières for the Lectures maison rouge collection she directs. The French edition adds two recent interviews and two texts, including a preface by Jean-Pierre Criqui that recontextualizes Ruscha's work within its original literary literality. Among the twenty-three interviews, two stand out: a 1980 conversation with Paul Karlstrom spanning nearly 70 pages, covering Ruscha's biography from childhood to his then-current practice, influences (Picabia, Duchamp, Rauschenberg, Jones, graffiti), and his choice to paint words—"Newspapers, magazines, books—words, in short—made more sense to me than any damn oil painting by an artist." The second, a 1989 interview with Bernard Blistène, redefines Ruscha's status, attitude toward literature, cinema, absurdity, and painting, where he admits his artist books secured his place in art history. The publication underscores Ruscha's radical verb, unique word, and image force, positioning him as a poet.