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70 BY BILLY FONG. PORTRAIT BENNET PEREZ. A RUBY, SOMETIMES IN THE ROUGH T his month, the Nasher S c u l p t u re C e n t e r presents the eagerly anticipated "Sterling Ruby: Sculpture," a large-scale exhibition dedicated to the sculptural work of the Germany–born, Los Angeles–based artist. The exhibition includes nearly 30 sculptures spanning Ruby's career, and is the first museum show of the works of one of the most significant contemporary artists of this generation. Many artists attempt to work across multiple mediums and genres, but often their voices are lost in the cacophony. Not so with Ruby, whose oeuvre successfully encompasses sculpture, painting, ceramics, installation, textiles, clothing, photography, video, and collage. Monumental ceramic collages weighing hundreds of pounds are on view alongside soft sculptures incorporating inexpensive fabrics dyed in Ruby's L.A. studio. The works cross all the traditional divisions: craft and fine art, everyday necessities and luxury goods employing materials typically associated with utility and affordability. His work addresses a range of issues, both societal and his own personal views, and reexamines traditional notions of beauty and value. "Sterling Ruby's work explores American culture in wildly various ways, but his sculptural work, in particular, considers our relationships to objects, both high and low, through means that are equally poignant and irreverent," says Nasher director, Jeremy Strick. R uby's name is also familiar to the fashion crowd. One of the most brilliant and creative bromances of the past decade has evolved between Sterling Ruby and fashion wunderkind Raf Simons. Their monumental collaboration in 2014 for Simons' namesake label was much more than an artist's work screen-printed onto a T-shirt. It was a harmonious and cohesive exploration of mutual respect and friendship, as well as an examination of the influences that shaped both artists. Jointly created imagery adorned the garments; the runway spectacle, bedecked with Ruby's formidable sculptures, boasted a playlist of Simons' and Ruby's favorite songs. It Sterling Ruby Sterling Ruby's The Cup, 2013