Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 9

Raymond Pettibon
Revolutionary Sex (Deluxe hand signed edition of the Patty Hearst SLA print)

1982

About the Item

Raymond Pettibon Revolutionary Sex (Deluxe signed edition of Patty Hearst SLA Poster), 1982 Offset print (hand signed and numbered) Hand-signed by artist, Boldly signed by Raymond Pettibon in red pencil; also numbered 105 (thought to be from an edition of only 150-200, but exact number unknown) Frame Included: elegantly floated and framed in red wood museum quality frame with UV plexiglass Accompanied by gallery issued Certificate of Guarantee Measurements: Framed: 22.25 by 16.25 by 1.25 Artwork: 17 inches by 11 inches For those of us who came of age in the mid 1970s, one of the seminal cultural events - and a major national news story - of that era was the 1974 kidnapping of Patty Hearst, granddaughter of American publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst. She was kidnapped by a terrorist group, the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA), and during her 19 months of captivity Hearst confounded the public by publicly espousing the long-forgotten organization's philosophy and appearing to eagerly participate in a series of bank robberies and violent crimes. She adopted the "nom de guerre" Tania, and apparently developed an intimate relationship with one or more of her captors. She was eventually captured and put on trial. It was the first time the terms "Stockholm Syndrome" and "radical chic" entered the national discourse. At her trial, the prosecution suggested that Patty Hearst had joined the Symbionese Liberation Army of her own volition. However, she testified that she had been raped and threatened with death while held captive. In 1976, she was convicted for the crime of bank robbery and sentenced to 35 years in prison, later reduced to 7 years. Her sentence was commuted by President Jimmy Carter, and she was later pardoned by President Bill Clinton. The Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) was a California-based far-left militant organization that was active between 1973 and 1975. Their name ‘Symbionese’ is taken from the word symbiosis and they defined its meaning as a body of dissimilar bodies and organisms living in deep and loving harmony and partnership in the best interest of all within the body. Rooted in Marxist and Black nationalist principles, the SLA positioned itself as a vanguard movement combatting capitalism, racism, and systemic oppression. While some of their goals may have seemed laudable and idealistic in theory (hence its romantic allure), during its existence, the group murdered at least two people, committed armed bank robberies, attempted bombings, and other violent crimes. The SLA are widely regarded by American law enforcement as the first domestic terrorist group to rise on the political left. Artist Raymond Pettibon began his career as a bass player for Black Flag (his older brother's punk rock band), but he soon found himself designing all of their posters and promotional materials, including the present work. In the early days of LA punk, Pettibon's drawings were distributed through photo-copied zines and on album covers; his drawings and artists' books are now represented in museums worldwide. "Revolutionary Sex" was a poster Pettibon created for Black Flag in 1982. The present work is from the very elusive, coveted deluxe, hand signed and numbered edition - thought to be around 200 (though the exact number is unknown) this being numbered 105. It bears the original folds, as it was created as a flyer/mailer, and it has been elegantly framed in a red frame, as red was, famously, the background color of the Symbionese Liberation Army's black snake logo. (There was also a more common unsigned edition of this poster). It is, of course Pettibon's depiction of "Tania", the nom de guerre of Patty Hearst, embraced in the loving grip of the seven-headed cobra - the official symbol of of the SLA (Symbionese Liberation Army). In Pettibon's explicitly sexual and racy interpretation of this event, a completely naked Hearst is seen grinning in ecstasy while the SLA's snake is sensually wrapped around her entire body including, most controversially, her private parts. Raymond Pettibon (born Raymond Ginn, June 16, 1957) is an American artist who now lives and works in New York City. Pettibon came to prominence in the early 1980s in the southern California punk rock scene, creating posters and album art mainly for groups on SST Records, owned and operated by his older brother, Greg Ginn. He has subsequently become widely recognized in the fine art world for using American iconography variously pulled from literature, art history, philosophy, and religion to politics, sport, and sexuality. As Holland Cotter noted in The New York Times, now quoted in his Wikipedia entry: "Mr. Pettibon is, with gratifying regularity, a sharp political critic. It is the most interesting thing about him. His targets can be quite specific: the drug-wrecked hippie movement of the 1960s, the American war in Iraq. Yet his entire output, despite interludes of lyricism and nostalgia, and a running strain of stand-up humor, is a steady indictment of American culture as he has lived it over the past 60 years."
  • Creator:
    Raymond Pettibon (1957, American)
  • Creation Year:
    1982
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 22.25 in (56.52 cm)Width: 16.25 in (41.28 cm)Depth: 1.25 in (3.18 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
    Good to very good vintage condition; there are folds as issued; (it was a folded flyer); there's also some overall age wear (see photos); otherwise a strong impression in surprisingly good shape.
  • Gallery Location:
    New York, NY
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU1745214930412

More From This Seller

View All
Hav-a-Havana Mel Ramos at Kantor Gallery, limited ed. Hand Signed by Mel Ramos
By Mel Ramos
Located in New York, NY
Mel Ramos at Kantor Gallery (Hand Signed), 1997 Limited Edition Offset Lithograph (hand signed by Mel Ramos) Pencil signed and dated on lower front Frame Included: framed in dark woo...
Category

1990s Pop Art Nude Prints

Materials

Lithograph, Offset

Theresa Russell "Nude" print (Hand signed, inscribed and dated by David Hockney)
By David Hockney
Located in New York, NY
David Hockney XVI RIP ARLES (Hand signed, inscribed and dated by David Hockney), 1985 Offset lithograph poster Hand signed and inscribed with dateline London, 1985 by David Hockney o...
Category

1980s Pop Art Nude Prints

Materials

Lithograph, Offset

Historic invitation to mid century book launch of "In the Bottom of My Garden"
By Andy Warhol
Located in New York, NY
Andy Warhol Extremely rare, early hand made invitation to book launch of "In the Bottom of My Garden" Serendipity 3, 1958 Offset lithograph invitation designed by Warhol on thin pape...
Category

Mid-20th Century Pop Art Figurative Prints

Materials

Paper, Offset

Untitled from Doctors of the World Portfolio, hand signed & numbered Pop realism
By Chuck Close
Located in New York, NY
Chuck Close Untitled Daguerreotypes, 2001 Two (2) pigmented digital output iris prints from daguerroeotype printed in a single sheet of wove paper 22 × 29 1/4 inches Signed in pencil, dated and numbered on the front from the edition of 100 Unframed The present work is a pencil signed and numbered daguerreotype that is part of the 2001 “Doctors of the World” series. Close has said “I’m not interested in daguerreotypes because it’s an antiquarian process, I like them because from my point of view, photography never got any better than it was in 1840… Photographs are often so big now that twenty or thirty people can view one at the same time, but a daguerreotype is the most intimate image made with a camera, because it is small and only one person can look at it.” Printer: Universal Limited Art Editions, East Islip, New York / ULAE & Brand X Editions Publisher: Doctors of the World / Art of this Century, NY Literature: "The Art of Healing" which catalogues the works from the portfolio. Chuck Close Prints...
Category

Early 2000s Pop Art Nude Prints

Materials

Pigment, Lithograph, Pencil

Lydia Lunch at the Russian Baths, 268 East 10th Street, 1985 offset litho poster
By Nan Goldin
Located in New York, NY
Nan Goldin Lydia Lunch at the Russian Baths, 268 East 10th Street, 1985 poster, 2018 Offset lithograph poster (unsigned, unnumbered and unframed) 17 × 22 inches Published by The Kitchen in 2018, on the occasion of their Gala honoring Nan Goldin and Lydia Lunch Provenance Acquired from The Kitchen on the occasion of their 2018 Gala Also accompanied by Certificate of Guarantee from Alpha 137 Gallery Excerpt from The Kitchen description of this event: “During the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, icons Goldin and Lunch were vanguards of post-punk New York. Both women have presented their work at The Kitchen throughout the years, consistently returning to premiere new works that went on to exemplify their careers. Goldin’s portraiture of her close-knit circle of friends in New York became emblematic of her generation’s grappling with the social issues of the time, from the epidemic of drug addiction to the AIDS crisis. Lunch is revered as a radical progenitor of No Wave music, fronting the influential Teenage Jesus and the Jerks and collaborating with acts like JG Thirlwell, Birthday Party, and Sonic Youth. Lunch has a broad artistic practice, also working in film, visual art, writing, and spoken-word. Goldin and Lunch have also collaborated on numerous occasions. For instance, the cover of Lunch’s 1995 album Drowning In Limbo featured a portrait of her taken by Goldin. Lunch also posed for Goldin’s project for The Village Voice’s short-lived fashion insert Vue in 1985. Shot as part of an editorial called “Masculine/Feminine,” the image of a reclining Lunch at Russian baths in the East Village was ultimately not included in the final layout, and we were pleased to be present the image for the first time as a limited-edition print in support of The Kitchen. At The Kitchen in November 1980, Goldin presented slides as part of Dubbed in Glamour, a three-day event of “spectacle and extravagance” organized by Edit deAk that featured primarily women artists. Introduced by Cookie Mueller, who served as the master of ceremonies, these slides were an early version of Goldin’s landmark work The Ballad of Sexual Dependency, which continued to take shape during the next few years. The Bush Tetras, who performed at this year’s gala, also participated in Dubbed in Glamour. In 1994, Goldin returned to The Kitchen to premiere three slideshows for the first time in the United States as part of the winter lecture series curated by Ira Silverberg. The first slideshow developed from her 1992 award-winning book The Other Side, which lauded the drag queens she lived with and among in New York. During the ‘70s, when Goldin first moved to the city, the people she lived with became not just her subjects, but also her chosen family. The second slideshow was a series of intimate self-portraits. The evening concluded with a collection of Goldin’s images that traced her relationships to her close friends Alf Bold, Gilles Dusein, and Cookie Mueller and celebrated the joy of their lives and the pain of their deaths from AIDS. In 1985, Lunch first appeared at The Kitchen as part of the two-night screening series of experimental short films, Super 8 Motel. She and Richard Kern...
Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph, Offset

Larry Rivers Republique De Guinee Pochoir Inscribed in ink to Andy Warhol Framed
By Larry Rivers
Located in New York, NY
Larry Rivers Republique De Guinee, for Andy Warhol, Inscribed in ink to Andy Warhol, 1977 Color Pochoir, Acrylic Airbrush and Pencil on paper with deckled edges Hand signed and inscr...
Category

1970s Pop Art Figurative Prints

Materials

Mixed Media, Acrylic, Pencil, Stencil

You May Also Like

Raymond Pettibon Black Flag 1984 (Raymond Pettibon punk)
By Raymond Pettibon
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Raymond Pettibon Black Flag 1984: Rare early 1980's Black Flag promotional poster illustrated by Raymond Pettibon for the seminal Black Flag record: My War. A striking, historic 1980s Raymond Pettibon Black Flag poster sure to standout in any setting. Offset printed punk poster...
Category

1980s Pop Art Nude Prints

Materials

Offset, Lithograph

Tomi Ungerer Nude Gun (Tomi Ungerer underground sketchbook)
By Tomi Ungerer
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Tomi Ungerer Nude Gun: a selection from Underground Sketchbook: First printing, 1965. Medium: Vintage poster. Dimensions: 23 in. x 29 in. (58.42 cm x 73.66 cm). Very good overall vi...
Category

1960s Pop Art Nude Prints

Materials

Lithograph, Offset

Keith Haring Dolce Vita announcement 1991 (Keith Haring Switzerland)
By (after) Keith Haring
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Keith Haring announcement 1991 (Keith Haring Dolce Vita festival): This brilliantly rendered 1991 Keith Haring Dolce Vita announcement card was published on the occasion of the 700t...
Category

1990s Pop Art Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph, Offset

Keith Haring Safe Sex! (Vintage Keith Haring 1987)
By Keith Haring
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Original 1987 Keith Haring Safe Sex poster: Illustrated by Keith Haring in conjunction with his many Aids Awareness efforts. A historical vintage 1980s Keit...
Category

1980s Pop Art Nude Prints

Materials

Lithograph, Offset

Keith Haring Safe Sex! (vintage Keith Haring poster)
By Keith Haring
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Keith Haring Safe Sex poster 1987: A fun, witty, classic Haring illustration created by the artist in conjunction with his many Aids Awar...
Category

1980s Pop Art Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph, Offset

Raymond Pettibon Black Flag 1983 postmarked (Raymond Pettibon prints)
By Raymond Pettibon
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Raymond Pettibon: Rare early Black Flag punk flyer: Black Flag Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Jun 11, 1983. Santa Monica, CA. Flyer / handbill for gig by Black Flag, Misfits, Vandals featuring artwork by Pettibon. Post-marked 1983 on verso; rare as such given the SST stamp on verso (Black Flag's record label). Offset Print; 8.5 x 11 inches. Features Pettibon printed signure on the lower right. Condition: Minor signs of handling and fading or yellowing; fold-lines and staple marks to upper & lower center (these were originally stapled together and mailed); in otherwise very good overall condition given age & medium. Post-marked 1983 and hand addressed on verso. Rare. Flea, the Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist once said of Pettibon's Black Flag illustrations and iconic logo: "Before I knew what Black Flag was I remember walking around Hollywood and seeing Raymond's flyers and being like, 'What the fuck is that?'… Those flyers made me feel like something is going on and it's romantic and it's mysterious and it's heavy and I don't know what it is but I wanna know." About Raymond Pettibon (Americanb. 1957) Raymond Pettibon is a contemporary American artist known for his stylized ink drawings combining images and text. His inventive narratives blend historical content with consumer culture to yield incisive critiques of contemporary society. “I was making my work as transparent as possible, without equivocations, without calling attention to itself, without apology,” he explained. “There's a lot of conventions in the art world that are not to be transgressed, but my economy of means doesn't abide by those strictures.” Born Raymond Ginn on June 16, 1957 in Tucson, AZ, the artist is self-taught, but cites drawings by William Blake, Edward Hopper, Francisco Goya, and John Sloan as instructive to his practice. Deriving inspiration from comics, cartoons, and other pop culture iconography, Pettibon began designing album covers and ephemera for his brother’s band Black Flag in the mid-1970s. He went on to produce cover art for Sonic Youth, the Minutemen...
Category

1980s Pop Art Nude Prints

Materials

Offset, Lithograph

Recently Viewed

View All