Introduction It was born within the hippie subculture in San
Francisco in the 1960's. It was inspired by psychedelic experiences
while the artists were on drugs like LSD and mescaline. The intent
was to discover a new realm of freedom and to liberate peoples
minds.
Influences Surrealism Art Nouveau Victorian Art Pop and Comic
Art
Characteristics Use of bright contrasting colors and loud
textures. Optical vibrating effect of graphic lines. Use of
curviliniar shapes. Type was made illegible. There was often
metaphysical elements attached. Text was used to create imagery.
Collage technique was used.
Victor Moscoso Born in Spain in 1936, moved to San Fransisco in
'59. First of the poster artists with formal training and also to
use photographic collage in many of his posters. He created slow
read posters with the effects of the contrasting colours and
intense patterns. Turned his color theory upside down, creating
"color discord" by putting up colors of similar intensity next to
each other. Invented visual motif for psychedalia and made type as
illegible as possible.
Avalon Ballroom , Big Brother and the Holding Company. 1966 San
Fransisco Poster 1966 Victor Moscoso Avalon Ballroom ,The Doors,
Steve Miller Blues Band. 1967
Wes Wilson WE Born in 1937. Acknowledged as the father of 60's
Rock Posters. He invented a style that was synonymous with the 60's
peace movement. His major breakthrough was in his use of color
inspired by the light shows of the concerts, he mixed colors with
wild abandon, resulting in visuals that perfectly captured the
revolutionary essence of the music his art promoted. Invented a
'psychedelic' font in 1966. His work was very similar to Victor
Moscos's work.
Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Poster. 1966 New Year Bash,
Poster. 1966 Grateful Dead, Junior Wells, Chicago Blues Band, and
The Doors, Poster. 1966
Concert Posters Circa 1966 Wes Wilson's 'Psychedelic'
Font.
Heinz Edelmann Born in 1934. (d.2009) Was a German illustrator
and graphic designer. Began career as a freelance illustrator and
designer for theater posters. Also designed posters for various
plays and films. Most famous for his art direction and character
designs for an animated film ( Yellow Submarine ) about The
Beatles.
Cinema Poster 1964 The Beatles Album Cover 1969 Lord of the
rings, Book cover (German Edition) 1970
Stills from the animated film ' Yellow Submarine' 1968
Andromedar SR1 Book Illustrations 1970
Marijke Koger Was born in 1943. Dutch Visual artist and
designer. Hailed as the mother of Psychedelic Art. Member of ' the
fool', a dutch design collective and band. Worked with bands like
The Beatles, Cream and The Move. Created Fashions/costumes for
bands. Invented Psychedelic style in British Popular music in late
60's. She defined the Techni color hippy look.
Love Life, Poster 1966 A is for Apple, 1967 Tiger man, Poster
1970
Keiichi Tanami Born in 1936. Japanese designer and illustrator.
Heavily inspired by the Psychedelic culture and Pop art. Was a
member of the Neo-Dada organization in Post- war Japan. In 1967 he
went to NY and was inspired by Andy Warhol's work. Designed album
covers for bands like Jefferson Airplane and The Monkees. Credited
for introducing Psychedelic art to Japan.
Jefferson Airplane Album Covers 1967 The Monkees Album Covers
1967
Japanese Poster PB Grand Prix. 1968 No More War, Poster 1968
Magazine Cover 1968
End of an era The early years of the 1970's saw advertisers
using psychedelic art to sell a limitless array of consumer goods.
Even the term "psychedelic" itself underwent a s shift, and soon
came to mean "anything in youth culture which is colorful, or
unusual, or fashionable. By the mid-1970s, the psychedelic art
movement had been largely co-opted by mainstream commercial forces,
incorporated into the very system of capitalism that the hippies
had struggled so hard to change.