"Hard in the Paint" is a basketball term that describes a player trying to make a shot while positioned inside the painted lines just underneath the net—a difficult spot to score since the player is usually surrounded by members of the opposing team. In slang, the phrase also describes a "confident, tough, or aggressive" attitude. Hard in the Paint is also the title for Raymond Pettibon's current exhibit at David Zwirner, featuring new drawings referencing art history, classic literature, sports, politics, and pop culture. Composed with frenetic, almost violent lines and deep, bold colors, Pettibon's works definitely exude a "hard in the paint" swagger.
Born in Tucson, Arizona in 1957 and based in Venice Beach, California, Pettibon's early work was driven by the Los Angeles punk scene in the 70's and 80's along with the album art, comics, concert fliers and 'zines that were created during that time. Pettibon designed album covers for several bands, perhaps most notably Sonic Youth and Black Flag (whose founding member, Greg Ginn, is Pettibon's brother) and created Black Flag's well-known logo—four thick, black, vertical bars. With his punk and hardcore connections, it's almost hard to believe that the text Pettibon incorporates into his artwork is culled from the writing of Proust, Faulkner, Flaubert, and the bible. "Fragments from American society have been singled out and distilled to key images" and paired up with text that ranges from a single word to several lines and paragraphs (from show's press release). Images of baseball players, surfers, flowers, explosions, sports cars, news events, the earth, and even Liberace, are juxtaposed with words that "relate both rhythmically and narratively to the visual content of his drawings, although their relationship may not always be immediately apparent."
Though it might take a while to uncover them, Pettibon's smart, energetic, and richly colored drawings deliver messages and commentary about contemporary culture. The artist doesn't spoon-feed viewers the meanings of his works, but it's definitely worthwhile studying and (hopefully) discovering them on your own. Learn more at Davidzwirner.com and at the artist's website Raypettibon.com. Through December 21st.
*Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore has edited and will release Raymond Pettibon: Front Row Center on his imprint, Ecstatic Peace Library. The 160-page book focuses on Pettibon's work with bands, music, and the record label SST. Learn more at ecstaticpeacelibrary.com.
Clockwise from far left: No Title (She must know...), No Title (I am too...), No Title (Me and my...), No Title (My flame flicker...), No Title (It has in...), No Title (That obliging schoolgirl...), No Title (Almost a perfect...), all 2010
Clockwise from top left: No Title (Ohne title...), No Title (Faster faster please...), No Title (For getting a...), No Title (The church bell...), all 2010
Left to right: No Title (Driftwood, Wax, and...), No Title (5,000 strokes is...), No Title (A slight ascent...), 2010
No Title (The Invisible Man's...), 2010
Left to right: No Title (Zebra), 2010, No Title (Manhattan rising advancing...), 2010
Clockwise from top left: No Title (Hanging day at...), No Title (It may happen...), No Title (Hers seemed to...), No Title (No Primer No Bondo...), No Title (My 5-year plan...), all 2010
No Title (Female on the...), 2010
No Title (A painter hangs...), 2010
No Title (Why? I've no...), 2010
Left to right: No Title (The news put...), 2010, No Title (Don't ask! Don't...), 2010
Left to right: No Title (Pacific ocean blue), 2010, No Title (Going, going the...), 2010
Comments