Raymond Pettibon: Hard in the Paint

Published in 2012, Whuytuyp compiles work created by Raymond Pettibon over the past five years, from artist’s books and prints to animations and installations. Since 2001, several changes in Pettibon’s style have been increasingly evident, most notably in his use of broader brushes, even more expressive brushstrokes and a shift towards bolder color. These developments became consolidated around 2006, in the earliest drawings included in this volume. Also apparent throughout Whuytuyp is a more philosophical tone to the language used, and more overt social commentary—as well as an expansion of the range of references to include film, illustration, and cartoons. What continues to characterize Pettibon’s art is its ability to break and recombine discourses, liberating those sidelined, repressed and taboo aspects of American culture and creating his unique visual-linguistic polyphony.