Ed Ruscha Models For Band Of Outsider's Spring 2012 Look Book (PHOTOS)

Fashion brand Band of Outsiders mixes easy breezy California style with preppy chic. So who better to embody the effortless LA look than Pop Art wizard Ed Ruscha? Band of Outsiders' previous campaigns have featured actors such as Kirsten Dunst, Rupert Grint and most recently Michelle Williams, so Ruscha presents a significant leap in both age and occupation. But it is the persona of the models that designer Scott Sternberg is supposedly after, not their A-list status.

Ed Ruscha is known primarily for honing the Los Angeles vernacular in his paintings which ooze Beat Generation cool. The man is truly an icon of Los Angeles and we have to say he does look rather dashing in these 70s washed out Polaroid prints. He looks just as at home showing off his motorcycle as reclining in a chair in front of a good ole crossword puzzle. (Maybe it is because the photos were taken at Ruscha's Culver City studio.) Our personal favorite is probably the photo in which Ruscha reads 'Acrylic Painting For Dummies.' We love this homage to Los Angeles, the place where fashion and art can chill out together.

You can read ARTINFO's interview with Sternberg here. The designer says, "We were just having fun with the idea of Ed killing time at his studio, procrastinating, screwing around, not making work."

What do you think, readers? Is this just a gimmick or do you think it's fun to see artists occupy spaces that celebs are known for?