Details

An Ironic and Subversive Punk Universe

Step into the biting world of Raymond Pettibon with Underground, an exhibition exploring the work of this self-taught American artist through 70 drawings and a dozen zines, revealing a sharp critique of nihilistic and violent American society.

At the Musée national Picasso-Paris, alongside the Philip Guston exhibition (an artist Pettibon greatly admires), discover disturbing images blending literature, pop culture, politics, and religion, drawn from California’s punk scene of the 1970s.

This ironic and unsettling immersion relentlessly questions the American dream, confronting visitors with their own values in a dialogue between past and present.

Dates and Duration

From October 14, 2025 to March 1, 2026, this exhibition spans nearly five months, extending the punk exploration into spring for a deep dive into rebellious art.

Open daily except Mondays, with monthly late-night openings for extended visits and special events such as talks on punk and contemporary art.

This generous run invites repeat visits, enriching your understanding of cross-references as the seasons change.

Opening Hours

Open Tuesday to Sunday, 9:30 am to 6:00 pm (late opening until 10:00 pm on the first Wednesday of each month; last entry 45 minutes before closing). Closed Mondays and public holidays (January 1, May 1, and December 25).

Self-guided visits last about 45 minutes, encouraging intimate contemplation of the drawings and zines.

Flexible hours, including monthly late nights, suit urban schedules while fostering an atmosphere ideal for critical reflection.

Address and Access

Full address: Musée national Picasso-Paris, 5 rue de Thorigny, 75003 Paris.

Located in the historic Marais district, the museum is accessible by metro (lines 8 and 11, Saint-Sébastien - Froissart station) or a short walk from Place des Vosges.

The 17th-century Hôtel Salé setting amplifies the contrast between classical architecture and Pettibon’s punk energy, fusing heritage and subversion.

Tickets and Accessibility

Admission is €16 full price (includes permanent collections and exhibitions; €12 reduced for students, seniors, and families); free for under 18s, 18–25-year-olds from the EU, job seekers, and on the first Sunday of each month.

Online booking recommended for time slots, with audio guides in French and English, and full accessibility accommodations for visitors with disabilities.

This balanced pricing democratizes access to underground art, making Pettibon’s social critique open to a diverse audience.

Artistic Context

Born in 1957 in Tucson, Arizona, Raymond Pettibon emerged in the late 1970s California punk scene, designing album covers for Black Flag—the band founded by his brother Greg Ginn—and publishing his first self-made zines in the DIY spirit.

A self-taught artist influenced by Goya, Doré, and Guston, Pettibon’s black-and-white drawings, paired with punchy handwritten texts, subvert symbols like dollars, weapons, and political figures to denounce Reagan-era conservatism, the end of the hippie dream, and social contradictions, as seen in his 1980s works that mix grotesque and caricature.

Supported by David Zwirner Gallery, this exhibition at the Picasso—Paris’s first major focus on Pettibon’s underground roots—affirms him as a leading figure in contemporary art, connecting punk, satire, and art history in an unruly body of work that continues to challenge perceptions of a violent and illusory America.