Lee Tusman

Raymond Pettibon: Thank You for Staying

March 30 - May 17, 2008 Curated by Lee Tusman

Artist Raymond Pettibon is a cult favorite among underground music fans for his early work associated with the Los Angeles punk rock scene such as Black Flag, and his album cover for New York avant-rockers Sonic Youth. Pettibon has acquired an international reputation as a top contemporary American artist adept at combining serious literature with popular culture references.

This exhibition is a selection of paintings made during RAM’s Earwax performance in conjunction with bassist Mike Watt from legendary LA band The Minutemen performing live at the museum in January. The works themselves reference Mike Watt’s bass, lyrics and titles from his songs, the southern California landscape, and even Watt’s legendary Ford Econoline. These paintings are part of the permanent collection of the Riverside Art museum. The title of the exhibit references the last painting Pettibon created at EARWAX, a painting of Nikita Kruschev with the line “Thank You For Staying” painted above it exactly as Watt played the last musical notes of the evening.

Pettibon’s work has been shown in numerous galleries and museums internationally. Major retrospectives of his work have been held at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Santa Monica Museum of Art, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.

Photos from live painting and concert with Mike Watt by Michael J. Elderman