Ed Ruscha's *Fairly Small Torpedos* employs gunpowder and pastel on paper to create a striking tension between the delicacy of the medium and the explosive connotations of the title. The scorched, smoky tones of the gunpowder lend the work a raw, tactile quality, while Ruscha's characteristic blend of language and visual culture invites the viewer to contemplate the weight of words alongside their material presence.