Sterling Ruby

In a 2008 review, New York Times art critic Roberta Smith glowingly endorsed German-born, Los Angeles-based artist Sterling Ruby, calling him "one of the most interesting artists to emerge in this century. That's only eight years, of course," she added, "but the claim may stick." Ruby--who was born in 1972--uses whatever media suits his ideas; projects have included sculpture, collage, installation, painting, ceramics, video and printmaking. Fusing references to Minimalism, Art Brut and graffiti with a canny grasp of contemporary and pop culture, Ruby's accumulative approach addresses the overproduction of information, neurosis and paranoia, conflicts between individual impulses and mechanisms of social control, urban violence, consumption, anxiety and the need for control that characterizes contemporary Western society. Part of JRP|Ringier's distinctive monograph series, this well-illustrated volume is the most comprehensive reference on this rapidly emerging artist's work to date. It contains newly commissioned essays by Frieze associate editor Jörg Heiser and art historian Robert Hobbs.