Explore the Era

Delve into the postwar Los Angeles art world in this online archive, which provides additional material related to the exhibitions on view at the Getty Center. Learn about hipsters and happenings, and the venues across the city where all the action took place through images from the archives and first-hand accounts with the artists.

Ed Moses
Artist

Ed Moses, ca 1966

Ed Moses, ca. 1966. Image courtesy of Ed Moses. Photo by John Waggaman

Ed Moses was born in Long Beach, California, in 1926. He enlisted in the Navy at 17 and served as a surgical technician during World War II. After the war, Moses studied at Long Beach City College before transferring to UCLA to train under the expressionist painter Rico Lebrun. In 1958, Moses had his first exhibition of abstract paintings at the Ferus Gallery. Since then, Moses has constantly altered his aesthetic, experimenting with assemblage, installation, and printmaking, and exploring new techniques and materials.

Historic Map Locations

Works of Art

  • Hegemann Wedge

    Hegemann Wedge, 1971, Ed Moses. Powdered pigment, acrylic, and resin on canvas. 96 x 82 in. Collection of Phyllis & John Kleinberg. Image courtesy of and © Ed Moses

  • Dalton's Waffle #1

    Dalton's Waffle #1, 1960, Ed Moses. Crushed newspaper, shellac, and wood. 39 1/2 x 34 3/4 in. Collection of Jim Newman & Jane Ivory. Image courtesy of and © Ed Moses

Explore the Archive

  • Video: Ed Moses

    Video: Ed Moses speaks about his work, November 2009

  • Poster for Ed Moses exhibition

    Poster for Ed Moses exhibition at Mizuno Gallery in Los Angeles, 1969. Courtesy Mizuno Gallery. The Getty Research Institute, Gift of Michael Asher , 2009.M.30

  • Ed Moses, ca 1966

    Ed Moses, ca. 1966. Image courtesy of Ed Moses. Photo by John Waggaman

  • Resin painting by Ed Moses at Billy Al Bengston’s studio

    A resin painting by Ed Moses in an exhibition at Billy Al Bengston’s Artist Studio, 1970. © Ed Moses. Photo by Billy Al Bengston. Image courtesy of and © Billy Al Bengston Art

  • Poster for The Studs group exhibition

    Poster for The Studs group exhibition at the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles, 1964. Image courtesy of Hal Glicksman

  • Ed Moses with his installation at Mizuno Gallery

    Ed Moses with his installation at Mizuno Gallery, 1970. Image courtesy of and © Billy Al Bengston

  • Artists outside the Ferus Gallery

    Artists outside the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles, 1959. Clockwise from top: Billy Al Bengston, Irving Blum, Ed Moses, and John Altoon. Photo by William Claxton. Courtesy Demont Photo Management, LLC.

  • Ed Moses working on a resin painting

    Ed Moses working on a resin painting on the floor of his studio in the early 1970s. Image courtesy of Ed Moses

  • Ed Moses painting on the floor

    Ed Moses painting on the floor of his studio, ca. 1955. Image courtesy of Ed Moses