Ed Ruscha: Thirtyfour Parking Lots in Los Angeles

One of Ed Ruscha’s classic artist’s books, this volume features aerial photographs of empty parking lots in Los Angeles with captions indicating each location, including Dodger Stadium, Gilmore Drive-In Theatre, Century City, and Universal Studios. The photographs were taken by Art Alanis with direction by the artist from a helicopter that Ruscha hired for the shoot. These facilities are depicted both as abstract geometric compositions and as liminal sites that bespeak and punctuate a rapidly developing cityscape. First published by the artist in 1967, this edition of Thirtyfour Parking Lots in Los Angeles is in a slightly larger format than other of his best-known artist’s books such as Every Building on the Sunset Strip (1966), a change made in order to better accommodate the images.