ED RUSCHA SEEMS TO BE HAVING A GREAT YEAR. LONDON'S HAYWARD GALLERY FETED HIM IN A MASSIVE RETROSPECTIVE, THE PHILANTHROPIC GROUP AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS AWARDED HI ITS ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE AWARD, AND NOW BIDDERS HAVE SET A NEW RECORD PRICE FOR HIS PRINTS AT AUCTION. BUYERS COMPETED VIGOROUSLY RECENTLY AT BONHAMS AND BUTTERFIELDS, PUSHING THE PRICE OF THE ARTIST'S STANDARD STATION (E.5) (1966) WELL ABOVE ITS $30-40,000 ESTIMATE TO AN ASTOUNDING $170,000. IT IS THE HIGHEST PRICE EVER RECORDED FOR ONE OF THE ARTIST'S PRINTS ON THE AUCTION BLOCK. THE PREVIOUS HIGHPOINT FOR A RUSCHA PRINT WAS SET IN 2007, WHEN AN EDITION OF HIS HOLLYWOOD PRINT WENT FOR $133,000. PERHAPS MOST REMARKABLE ABOUT THE PRICE IS THE FACT THAT THE WORK, WHICH DEPICTS A RED GASOLINE STATION (ONE OF RUSCHA'S MOST ICONIC IMAGES) AGAINST A GRADIENT BACKGROUND OF ORANGE AND GRAY, IS NUMBERED 33 OF A FAIRLY SIZABLE EDITION OF 50. AFTER THE TRIUMPHANT EVENING, IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE IF COLLECTORS DECIDE TO CASH IN OTHER RUSCHA PRINTS OR HOLD ONTO THEM.
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