Ed Ruscha

Anthony d'Offay Gallery, London
Kukje Gallery, Seoul
Private Collection, Seoul
Acquired by the present owner from the above 

Seoul, Kukje Gallery, Ed Ruscha, November - December 1999, p. 8, illustrated in color

Robert Dean, ed., Edward Ruscha: Catologue Raisonne of the Paintings, Volume Three: 1983 - 1987, New York, 2007, cat. no. P1984.14, pp. 104-105, illustrated in color 

This work is in very good condition overall. There is evidence of light wear and handling at the edges with a few small associated losses. There are a few scattered light rub marks visible in the yellow painted area. There is a very fine unobtrusive abrasion which extends through the right side of the first "O" in "Tomorrow" and is only visible under raking light and which fluoresces under ultraviolet light. Under further ultraviolet light inspection, there is no evidence of restoration, however, a few small liquid accretions fluoresce. Framed.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

In Ruscha's visually succinct colloquy, the ones for which he is arguably the most famous, text is suspended in isolation amidst an oceanic expanse of canvas. "Ruscha methodically demystifies his subjects by bringing them into myopic perspective and making them seem no more than found objects drifting unattached across the viewer's consciousness." (Dan Cameron, "Love in Ruins" in: Exhibition Catalogue, Paris, Musee National d'Art Moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Edward Ruscha: Paintings, 1989-90, p. 17).

In the present Johnny Tomorrow, 1984, a galactic gradation that transcends from an inky black to plum wine to romantic violet to pale sand, swirls behind the text resulting in an image that is distinctly representative of the artist's unique brand of modernist poetry, equal parts verbal and visual. By placing lyrical linguistic combinations in dreamlike landscapes, such as the Hollywood Hills, the Swiss Alps, –  or,  in this case – the atmosphere, Ruscha is able to distill his surrealistic impulses into a single composition. As he explains, "I've always had a deep respect for things that are odd, for things which cannot be explained. Explanations seem to me to sort of finish things off." (the artist in conversation with Bernard Blistine, in Exhibition Catalogue, Barcelona, Centro Cultural de la Fundacio Caixa de Pensions, Ed Ruscha, 1990, pp. 36-8).