Raymond Pettibon's Album Art Assembled in Major German Exhibition
A comprehensive exhibition of Raymond Pettibon's album cover art, titled 'Nervous Breakdown,' has opened at the Wilhelm-Hack-Museum in Ludwigshafen, Germany. The show, drawn from over 200 works in the collection of Stefan Thull, spans Pettibon's record, CD, and cassette covers from 1979 to the present. It includes iconic designs for Black Flag, Sonic Youth's 'Goo,' and the 1983 compilation 'Life Is Boring So Why Not Steal This Record.' Pettibon, whose brother Greg Ginn founded Black Flag in 1976, created stark ink drawings for SST Records bands like Hüsker Dü and Meat Puppets. The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue published by the museum and David Zwirner Books. Thull, who also owns over 3,000 other record covers, notes he is still seeking two original Black Flag covers. The show runs until 20 September 2026.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'Nervous Breakdown' at Wilhelm-Hack-Museum, Ludwigshafen, Germany
- Over 200 works from Stefan Thull's collection
- Covers from 1979 to present, including Black Flag, Sonic Youth, and SST Records
- Pettibon's brother Greg Ginn founded Black Flag in 1976
- Catalogue published by Wilhelm-Hack-Museum and David Zwirner Books
- Thull also has over 3,000 other record covers
- Exhibition runs until 20 September 2026
- Pettibon represented by David Zwirner and Sadie Coles HQ
Entities
Artists
- Raymond Pettibon
- Greg Ginn
- Kim Gordon
- Maureen Hindley
- David Smith
- Roy Lichtenstein
- William Blake
- Francisco Goya
- John Ruskin
Institutions
- Wilhelm-Hack-Museum
- David Zwirner
- David Zwirner Books
- Sadie Coles HQ
- SST Records
- Black Flag
- Sonic Youth
- Hüsker Dü
- Meat Puppets
- Dinosaur Jr
- Rolling Stone Germany
- New Underground Records
Locations
- Ludwigshafen
- Germany
- Los Angeles
- California
- Hermosa Beach
- Southern California