Born in Hermosa Beach, California, Raymond Pettibon came to prominence in the late 1970s as the creator of flyers, posters, record covers and the logo for the seminal L.A. punk band Black Flag as well as for Sonic Youth (whose fronting diva, Kim Gordon, also went on to an art career). Pettibon rocketed to fame in 1992, when he was included in "Helter Skelter," the show that exposed the underbelly of the California art scene at Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles. Since then, he's channeled the dark side of American life and history with narrative drawings that have made him one of the most important artists of the past 20 years. Currently the subject of a career survey at the New Museum on Manhattan's Lower East Side, Pettibon discusses his work, its influences and its relationship to politics.
You got your start making promotional material for bands. How did you get into that?
My brother was in Black Flag, and they were very good at self-promotion. I actually used my existing drawings for the posters and other stuff I did for them and eventually for Sonic Youth. I always drew what I wanted; I never listened to any bright ideas coming from punk rockers.
You have also published zines. What role have those played in your career?
They began as a way of getting my work seen, though hardly any of them sold back then. They were somewhat random, but I usually tried to have a cohesive theme like sports and religion.