Raymond Pettibon is recognized for his early work created in the midst of the Southern California punk rock scene in the late 1970s-early 80s, most notably his hand drawn concert flyers and logo design for his brother’s band, Black Flag. On this week’s episode of Wheels Off, he joins Rhett to talk about his creating his own place in the art world and the DIY approach that he continues to maintain. Raymond and Rhett discuss the unique way he combines art with words in his work, and why it’s important to stay grounded in the work itself.

Raymond Pettibon emerged from Southern California DIY culture and its punk-rock sensibility, and his work still embraces a youthful edginess and sense of political engagement. Drawing from disparate cultural sources—which range from Marcel Proust and William Blake to the Bible—the artist makes cartoon-inspired ink drawings on paper which evoke the aesthetics of fanzines and concert flyers. Baseball players, trains, crashing waves, political figures, and comic book characters make frequent appearances, often accompanied by cryptic, ironic snippets of handwritten text. Pettibon has been the subject of solo shows at the New Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, and the Kunsthalle Wien. Alongside his fine-art practice, Pettibon has illustrated album art for Sonic Youth and Black Flag, among other musical acts.

Wheels Off is brought to you by Osiris Media. Hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Co-produced by Kirsten Cluthe in partnership with Nick Ruffini (Revoice Media). Editing by Matt Dwyer. Production Assistance by Matt Bavuso. Music by OLD 97’s. Episode artwork by Katherine Boils. Show logo by Tim Skirven. 

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