Anthony Easton’s edgy, yet accessible The 1950 Ford Show exhibit at the Art Gallery of Alberta began when the Edmonton-based curator of the show decided to make overt a mock challenge found in a 1977 drawing created by American Pop/Conceptual Artist Ed Ruscha. In his famous drawing, Ruscha, an artist well-known for working ironic text into his pieces, wrote “Will 100 Artists Draw a 1950 Ford from Memory.”

Working in a tongue-in-cheek fashion, Easton approached 100 artists from all across Canada, 10 U.S. states and several overseas locations, asking them to “draw a 1950 Ford from memory.” Artists in question ranged from traditional fine artists to edgy graphic novelists like Canadian artist Seth. The artistic result from this broad-based and odd-ball challenge is an amazingly fun show that can be ‘gotten’ at several levels, from heady post-modern readings to the visual guilty pleasure of taking a stroll down memory lane to that long-past era when Detroit ruled the roads and ‘getting there’ was still half the fun.

“You have some really interesting pieces of conceptual art as well as some total eye-candy,” says Easton. “This is a show your six-year-old will love.”

Anthony Easton’s The 1950 Ford Show is on display until January 6 at the Art Gallery of Alberta, Enterprise Square, #100, 10230 Jasper Avenue,
422-6223.