Raymond Pettibon (b. 1957) became known in the 1980s, as part of the Punk scene in Southern California, thanks to his designs for posters and album cover art that he created for bands such as Sonic Youth, Black Flag and more. At the same time, he started to show his work in galleries and museums around the world.

His drawings are influenced by comic strips, political cartoons, fanzines, and etchings. They are often accompanied by brief texts that add an enigmatic, iconoclastic, or surreal tone to the images. Pettibon casts a critical gaze upon modern American society, addressing many topics: the Hippies, drug use, violence, the Vietnam War and the military, the culture, and sports industry, as well as musings about the status of the artist and his work. His exhibitions often include color and ink drawings, some of them are torn, framed or pinned directly on the wall in no discernible order, alongside wall painting installations. The various components are connecting chaotically and non-chalantly, turning the exhibition space into its own kind of medium.

The conversation took place on the occasion of the opening of the exhibition “Raymond Pettibon: And What is Drawing For”, at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art.

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Raymond Pettibon, No Title (A swing so much...), ca. 1999 Pen and ink on paper, 58.4x38.1

Private collection, courtesy of David Zwirner

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Raymond Pettibo, No Title (It's a crime…), ca. 2000 Pen and ink on paper, 64.5x101

Collection of Sam and Shanit Schwartz, courtesy of Regen Projects, Los Angeles

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Raymond Pettibon, No Title (The paper cut...), 2004 Gouache and ink on paper, 76.2x56.8

Private collection, courtesy of David Zwirner