Edward Ruscha

It’s Payback Time (Country Cityscapes series)

2001

© Edward Ruscha

License this image

In Tate Modern

Level 4: ARTISTS ROOMS: Ed Ruscha: Room 1

Artist: Edward Ruscha born 1937
Medium: Photogravure with silkscreened text
Dimensions: Unconfirmed: 457 × 356 mm
frame: 510 × 407 × 37mm
Collection: ARTIST ROOMS
Tate and National Galleries of Scotland. Lent by Artist Rooms Foundation 2011
On long term loan
Reference: AL00292

Display caption

The titles of the works in this series are not visible in the images, but appear to have been blanked out, obscuring the landscape behind. These titles are aggressive cowboy catch-phrases from the Western movie genre. Ruscha suggests how cultural stereotypes affect the way we see the North American landscape. These clichés are often generated in mass-media producing cities, such as Los Angeles.

Gallery label, July 2019

Does this text contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? We would like to hear from you.

Explore

emotions, concepts and ideas(16,532)
- formal qualities(12,565)
- - contrast(144)
  - defacement(258)
  - photographic(4,742)
- universal concepts(6,403)
- - danger(64)
history(5,785)
- politics and society(2,351)
- - society: American Old West, 19th c.(8)
leisure and pastimes(7,771)
- music and entertainment(2,270)
- - cinema(205)
nature(45,225)
- landscape(25,918)
- - rocky(2,827)
- trees(3,276)
- - tree(2,513)
places(41,571)
- countries and continents(17,408)
- - USA(622)
symbols and personifications(7,181)
- inscriptions(6,688)
- - phrase(100)

You might like

Edward Ruscha Do As Told or Suffer (Country Cityscapes series)

2001

On display at Tate Modern part of Level 4: ARTISTS ROOMS: Ed Ruscha
Edward Ruscha You Will Eat Hot Lead (Country Cityscapes series)

2001

On display at Tate Modern part of Level 4: ARTISTS ROOMS: Ed Ruscha
Edward Ruscha You’re A Dead Man (Country Cityscapes series)

2001

On display at Tate Modern part of Level 4: ARTISTS ROOMS: Ed Ruscha
Edward Ruscha Be Careful... You Hear Me? (Country Cityscapes series)

2001

On display at Tate Modern part of Level 4: ARTISTS ROOMS: Ed Ruscha
Edward Ruscha Noose Around Your Neck (Country Cityscapes series)

2001

On display at Tate Modern part of Level 4: ARTISTS ROOMS: Ed Ruscha
Edward Ruscha Time Is Up

1989
Edward Ruscha Schwab’s Pharmacy (Sunset Strip Portfolio)

1976, printed 1995

On display at Tate Modern part of Level 4: ARTISTS ROOMS: Ed Ruscha
Edward Ruscha Filthy McNasty’s (Sunset Strip Portfolio)

1976, printed 1995

On display at Tate Modern part of Level 4: ARTISTS ROOMS: Ed Ruscha
Edward Ruscha Greenblatt’s Deli (Sunset Strip Portfolio)

1976, printed 1995

On display at Tate Modern part of Level 4: ARTISTS ROOMS: Ed Ruscha
Edward Ruscha Wilshire, Grant (from Los Francisco San Angeles portfolio)

2001

On display at Tate Modern part of Level 4: ARTISTS ROOMS: Ed Ruscha
Edward Ruscha Blank Signs #2

2004

On display at Tate Modern part of Level 4: ARTISTS ROOMS: Ed Ruscha
Edward Ruscha Chevrolet (Motor City Portfolio)

2009
Edward Ruscha Sunset, Pierce (from Los Francisco San Angeles portfolio)

2001

On display at Tate Modern part of Level 4: ARTISTS ROOMS: Ed Ruscha
Edward Ruscha Columbus, Sunset (from Los Francisco San Angeles portfolio)

2001

On display at Tate Modern part of Level 4: ARTISTS ROOMS: Ed Ruscha
Edward Ruscha Blank Signs #3

2004

On display at Tate Modern part of Level 4: ARTISTS ROOMS: Ed Ruscha

In the shop

Browse the shop