1968, Ed Ruscha, Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Fire -- Los Angeles County Museum of Art (special exhibition)
From the museum label: In 1965, the opening of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Wilshire Boulevard signaled a new era in the city's cultural development. A few months later, Ruscha depicted the museum on fire at a time when Watts was burning with protests over racial inequity. When later questioned about this provocation, Ruscha noted how close the fires were to his studio, but added that he hadn't consciously set out to refer to the riots when making this painting. "It's sort of like a backdoor influence... I didn't paint the riots necessarily, but I painted some kind of aftereffect of it."
1968, Ed Ruscha, Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Fire -- Los Angeles County Museum of Art (special exhibition)
From the museum label: In 1965, the opening of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Wilshire Boulevard signaled a new era in the city's cultural development. A few months later, Ruscha depicted the museum on fire at a time when Watts was burning with protests over racial inequity. When later questioned about this provocation, Ruscha noted how close the fires were to his studio, but added that he hadn't consciously set out to refer to the riots when making this painting. "It's sort of like a backdoor influence... I didn't paint the riots necessarily, but I painted some kind of aftereffect of it."