Untitled (Wall Street's Chosen Few…)

2000 - Painting (Painting)

Raymond Pettibon

---

Untitled (Wall Street’s Chosen Few…) is typical of Pettibon’s drawings in which fragments of text and image are united, but yet gaps remain in their signification. A full story seems present but is not fully within the viewer’s grasp. Here, Pettibon draws a connection between legal restrictions on free speech and the power of an elite on Wall Street. The drawing correlates market fears to the panic that results from a warning shouted in a crowded theater. Pettibon offers no resolution, only starbursts that resemble both the beauty of fireworks and suggest oncoming explosions.

---

Before becoming famous in the art world, Raymond Pettibon’s punk-rock drawings were well-known in alternative scenes. His iconic album covers for bands such as Black Flag, Minuteman, and Sonic Youth have influenced younger artists who capture the intricacies of marginal youth and popular culture with a casual style. However, Pettibon’s graphic, comic-inspired black ink drawings of violent and antiauthoritarian subject matter remain unique.

---

Colors:

---

• calligraphic
• city scenes
• collage
• comic/cartoon
• american
• born 1957
• video and installation artist
• artist's book
• contemporary artist
• drawing