Getty Research Institute Acquires Raymond Pettibon Archive, Including Surfboard Artwork
On July 7, 2026, the Getty Research Institute announced the acquisition of Raymond Pettibon's archive, which includes a nine-foot-six-inch surfboard painted by the artist. The board, created in the mid-2000s for the Surfrider Foundation's Art for the Oceans auction, depicts a surfer engulfed by a wave. The archive, acquired in 2024, contains 32 boxes of flyers, zines, prints, and source materials from Pettibon's career, which began in 1978 with punk zines and Black Flag flyers. The surfboard, with a phrase from Horace's Ars Poetica inscribed on its deck, required custom mounting to fit in the institute's storage vault.
The Signal
The surfboard's inclusion underscores Pettibon's lifelong engagement with the sublime in nature, a theme he has explored through recurring images of surfers on massive waves. For the Getty Research Institute, the object exemplifies how archives can challenge conventional preservation methods, reflecting Pettibon's own resistance to institutional constraints. The acquisition provides researchers with access to Pettibon's creative process, from early punk ephemera to later works, and highlights the institute's willingness to accommodate unconventional artifacts alongside traditional materials.
- Artists: Raymond Pettibon
- People: Raymond Pettibon, Glenn Phillips, Lynda Bunting, Mike Watt, Kevin Young, Barry Russakis
- Museums: Getty Research Institute
- Locations: Los Angeles, New York City
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