Artist Ed Ruscha Teams Up With (RED) and Gagosian for COVID-19 Relief
SCIENCE CLASS: Fans and followers of artist Ed Ruscha now have the option of not just buying his art but wearing it, too.
The octogenarian has teamed up with (RED) and Gagosian to create a limited-edition scarf to help provide more equitable access to COVID-19 relief. The silk twill scarf is imprinted with “Science Is Truth Found Out” and is produced by Massif Central in Italy.
More from WWD
The limited-edition scarves will be available for pre-order as of Tuesday and will be shipped early next month. Five hundred units are being sold of the $1,200 item with all of the sales going to The Global Fund to support the fight for equitable access to COVID-19 relief in countries in need.
In addition, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged to match every dollar that is raised for The Global Fund. (RED) and the Gates Foundation have partnered through the years. Each scarf is signed and numbered.
The scarf appears to be a magnified version of Ruscha’s 1986 drawing “Science Is Truth Found Out,” which was inspired by an inscription in stone that he saw above an entrance to Hollywood High School. The artist reimagined the drawing for the silk scarf with a more magnified look at the trees in a glowing red field.
The proceeds from the scarf sales will be used for vaccines, testing and treatment to those most in need.
Ruscha was not available for an interview, according to a spokesperson.
The collaborative red scarf will be for sale at Gagosian’s online shop, and at the gallery’s retail locations on Madison Avenue on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and at the Burlington Arcade in London. Gagosian’s director Louise Neri contacted Ruscha, who had previously supported the (RED) auction with Gagosian and Sotheby’s, about the collaboration.
Larry Gagosian, a member of (RED)’s advisory board for the past few years, said in a statement that the suffering and loss of life due to COVID-19 are “on a level that we haven’t seen in a long time and will hopefully never see again.”
Best of WWD
Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.