Punks new wave: Raymond Pettibons surf paintings in pictures | Art and design

Publish date: 2020-08-10

Punk’s new wave: Raymond Pettibon’s surf paintings – in pictures

Raymond Pettibon’s art was synonymous with the 80s Californian punk scene; his graphics a visual identity for club fliers and album artwork for bands, especially Black Flag and Sonic Youth. Though his work now fills museums rather than zine pages, one theme from his west coast childhood still captivates: surfing. New monograph Point Break (David Zwirner Books) collects his Surfers pictures, which he started in 1985. ‘It wasn’t intended as a series,’ says Pettibon, “but growing up around surfing made it a natural subject.’

Lone surfers hold a particular fascination, but these energetic pictures of man and sea should not feel overwhelming, says Pettibon. ‘Viewers needn’t drown in a morass of moving water and foam. Big, forbidding surf both attracts and repels.’

Main image: A detail from ‘No Title (He is looking...), 2016’ by Raymond Pettibon.

Sat 11 Jun 2022 Last modified on Wed 19 Oct 2022

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