“The Los Angeles County Museum on Fire” is an oil on canvas work by pop artist Edward Ruscha, created between 1965 and 1968. The artwork measures 135.89 x 339.09 cm and is classified within the cityscape genre. It’s a notable piece from the Pop Art movement and is housed in the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, DC, United States.
In this artwork, Ruscha depicts the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) buildings as if they were engulfed in flames. The composition is strikingly cinematic, with the fire appearing intense and fierce in contrast to the otherwise serene and orderly museum complex. The perspective is such that it looks like a model or a simulation, flattened and somewhat surreal in its presentation. The fire raises questions about the durability of art and cultural institutions, as well as the possible implications of disaster upon them. Ruscha’s choice of subject, combined with his specific rendering style, contributes to the Pop Art movement’s fondness for everyday imagery and cultural critique.
