In an extraordinarily rare interview, artist Raymond Pettibon discusses his journey, from early punk rock works to present day artistic themes, technique and rhythms, the Getty archives and more.

Topics Include:

• Raymond Pettibon has been drawing constantly since childhood, "always with a pen in hand"
• Started with crayons, pastels, pencil - India ink came later as too messy
• Early influences included Albrecht Dürer, etchings, and comic book art equally
• Self-taught artist who learned through trial and error, never attended art school
• Studied economics in college, bringing analytical thinking to his art practice
• Approaches work as fine art, not commercial art, values creative freedom
• Rarely takes commissions - the more constraints, the less he likes it
• Band artwork usually selected from existing drawings rather than commissioned pieces
• Black Flag's "Nervous Breakdown" images came from his "Captive Chains" book
• Artwork inspired by "Blackboard Jungle" film - students destroying teacher's jazz records
• Has experience teaching, can identify with teacher-student conflicts from that period
• Left SST Records in 1985-86 due to oppressive environment
• Describes certain subjects he returns to repeatedly over the decades
• Works on multiple drawings simultaneously, some remaining unfinished for years
• Enters a meditative "fugue state" when drawing or writing
• Never experiences artist's block - blank paper doesn't intimidate him
• Believes he can write about any subject with natural fluency
• Doesn't plan series - they develop organically through returning to themes
• Sometimes works directly on gallery walls during exhibitions for coherence
• Used to work all day and night when deeply engaged
• Dislikes deadlines - they make work harder, not easier for him
• Sees deadlines as triggering psychological rebellion despite wanting to please collectors
• Hates when people suggest ideas - it "breaks the spell"
• Admits he's not the greatest draftsman but learned on the job
• Recently donated personal archive to Getty Research Institute for scholarly access
• Participated in Getty's research scholar program, one artist among academics
• Program reconnected him with economics after years away from the discipline
• Still has unfinished drawings in studio, some over 30 years old
• Currently creating less due to frustrations with art world dynamics
• Values complete artistic freedom - no curator has ever asked him to change

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Photo by John Newsom

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