PSYCHEDELIC POSTERS OF THE 1960s

PSYCHEDELIC POSTERS OF THE 1960S EL PASO MUSEUM OF ART JANUARY 20 - MAY 5, 2021

D

uring the1960s, young people in the United

Mahatma Gandhi, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Che

States were developing a distaste for capital-

Guevara, Mother Teresa—they led a revolution of con-

ism and shifting into an era of peace and love.

science. The Beatles, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, created

They felt disillusioned by the Vietnam War,

revolution and evolution themes. The music was like Dalí,

the assassination of President Kennedy, racism and other

with many colors and revolutionary ways. The youth of

human rights issues. This led them to organize protests,

today must go there to find themselves.” Inspiration also

experiment with drugs, and seek solutions from other

came from the Art Nouveau movement of the late 1800s

cultures. The soundtrack to all of this was mostly rock n’

and its artists like Alphonse Mucha who used flowing

roll. During this time, music concerts and festivals’ pop-

patterns, Byzantine-inspired framing devices, and use of

ularity grew exponentially. The scene was full of young

feminine figures. Artists of the 1960s took all this inspi-

students and heavily influenced by acid or LSD (lysergic

ration, along with the new vibrant, neon colors available

acid diethylamide), a hallucinogenic, psychoactive drug.

to them, to create art that took the form of advertising

The word Psychedelic comes from the Greek words psy-

posters for music venues and concerts. These came to be

che, which means mind, spirit or soul, and delos, meaning

known as the psychedelic posters of the 1960s. Some of

clearly apparent or seen. Artists sought to depict the way

the most successful artists of this era were Wes Wilson,

youth in America experienced LSD and rock n’ roll mu-

Victor Moscoso, and Rick Griffin and their legacy contin-

sic. When talking about the era, musician Carlos Santana

ues to inspire artists today.

mentioned, “The 60s were a leap in human consciousness.

“The music was like Dalí, with many colors and revolutionary ways” – Carlos Santana Opposite: Bob Seidermann, Victor Moscoso, Rick Griffin, Wes Wilson, 1968 Opening end papers: Felix, acid blotter art

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WES WILSON Wes Wilson was born July 15, 1937 in Sacramento, California. He, like most artists of the psychedelic scene, was not academically trained. Bill Graham, a concert promotor for venues the Fillmore and Winterland Ballroom needed artists to design and make posters to advertise the events. As the psychedelic music scene expanded, so did Wilson’s work as the demand for these posters was high. Wilson preferred working with wood block printing and used non-uniform or organic lettering, he tried to emulate light shows and liquid forms. One of Wes Wilson’s most recognizable works is commonly known as Red Flames or The Association, Fillmore Auditorium BG 18 (1966). The poster uses high contrast and the complementary colors, red and green. The text is drawn like fames that when looking closer one can decipher the words and information being provided.

Wes Wilson, The Association, Fillmore Auditorium BG 18, 1966

Wilson also portrayed women as symbols of spirituality

Here the intricate lettering acts as hair, framing the face.

and sensuality, all in a positive way without objectifi-

This hard-to-read style of lettering in psychedelic post-

cation. Their bodies draping in decorative patterns or

ers often worried promoters that audiences would not be

lettering, with the focus being their heads or faces. An

able to read the information, but it actually proved to be

example of this is his, Captain Beefheart, Fillmore Audito-

very successful with the young audience. It gave them

rium BG 34 (1966). This poster again uses complementa-

something to decipher and was embraced as a sort of

ry colors like blue, orange, and red. The left side focuses

secret language of the scene that older people represent-

on the feminine face surrounded by decorative patterns,

ing “the establishment” could not understand. Wilson

with intricate lettering on the right side. Another similar

would design according to his own experiences with LSD,

poster that focuses on a face is his, Grateful Dead, Filmore

he wanted his audience to take an “acid trip” through his

Auditorium BG 51 (1967). This poster uses high contrast

designs by deciphering text, hidden patterns, and enjoy-

between pink and browns and different line weights.

ing the flow of colors clashing with each other.

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Wes Wilson, Grateful Dead, Fillmore Auditorium BG 51, 1967

Wes Wilson, Captain Beefheart, Fillmore Auditorium BG 34, 1966

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Victor Moscoso, Horns Of Plenty, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Avalon Ballroom FD 58, 1967

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Victor Moscoso,Mist Dance, Youngbloods, Avalon Ballroom FD 81, 1967

other artists to take his own acid trips, but he understood the feeling and what the psychedelic scene represented.

Moscoso started experimenting with color and creating intense visual effects with his posters, creating optical illusions. His intense visual effects are clearly seen in his, Horns Of Plenty, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Avalon Ballroom FD 68 poster (1967). Thick, serif lettering is used and distorted creating a spiral. This forces the viewer’s head to tilt in order to read it, along with bright pink, green and blue colors. He was the first to implement photo collages to create surrealistic images with color effects and hot color schemes to create what Moscoso called a “vibrating border.” This effect is evident in his poster, The Matrix, Neon Rose Series (1967) It uses high contrast between the orange of the image collage and the blues that create a border around it. As the viewer’s eyes travel through the piece, Moscoso creates movement by the colors and shapes used. Closer inspection reveals what the poster is advertising.

Moscoso uses overlapping effects and lettering with wide serifs that, along with the hot color schemes, make the text blend in with the background. He used techniques of modern lithography and enjoyed experimenting with patterns. One of his most recognizable pieces was Mist Dance, Youngbloods, Avalon Ballroom FD 81 (1967). In this Victor Moscoso, The Matrix, Neon Rose Series, 1967

poster, patterns blend together and create text forms, Moscoso combines the realistic shape of dancing silhou-

Victor Moscoso was born July 28, 1936 in Oleiros Spain.

ettes and fills them with contrasting colors and patterns.

The first academically-trained artist to join the psychedel-

In a 2018 AIGA interview, while talking about psyche-

ic poster movement. Moscoso studied at Cooper Union

delic art Moscoso said it gave him, “Power, power to do

in New York, Yale University and later moved to San

whatever the f*** I wanted to!” This included almost-il-

Francisco where he attended the Art Institute eventually

legible lettering and use of vibrating colors, everything

becoming an instructor there. He was not as inspired as

art school told him not to do.

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rick griffin Rick Griffin was born June 18, 1944 in Los Angeles, California. During his high school years, he started working as a comix artist for Surfer magazine. Later he enrolled in the Chouinard Art Institute where he started experimenting with LSD. By 1966, Griffin was inspired by psychedelic poster art and decided to move to San Francisco to participate in the movement. He was interested in Native American culture, psychedelics and the metaphysical. One of his first posters, Pow Pow, Human Be-in, Golden Gate Park, SF (1967), clearly depicts his interest in Native Americans and background as a cartoon and comics artist. He uses a variety of lettering and realistic illustration, without experimenting much with color.

Rick Griffin, Victor Moscoso, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Winterland BG 104, 1968

As Griffin’s work grew, he began to experiment more with color and intricate text, he preferred the lithography process to create his posters. One of his most recognizable works is his, Flying Eyeball, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Fillmore Auditorium and Winterland, Fillmore West BG 105 poster (1968). He uses a bright red background with black and yellow lettering creating high contrast, as well as his illustration of an eyeball with animal parts and fire.

Griffin also collaborated with other psychedelic artists.

He and Victor Moscoso created the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Winterland BG 140 poster (1968) using Griffin’s lettering and beetle illustration, along with Moscoso’s Rick Griffin, Pow Pow, Human Be-in, Golden Gate Park, SF, 1967

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selection of hot colors.

Rick Griffin, Flying Eyeball, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Fillmore Auditorium and Winterland, Fillmore West, BG 105, 1968

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LEGACY

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Alan Forbes, It All Went South, 1993

The impact of psychedelic posters of the 1960s remains and continues to inspire. In 2018, the AIGA honored Victor Moscoso “for originating an enduring graphic style instrumental in defining both underground comix and the psychedelic rock posters of the ‘60s, and for their indelible impact on American culture.” Contemporary poster artist Frank Kozik’s work is also drug inspired and uses high contrast colors. By mixing images from classic comic books such as Archie and historical villains like Hitler, he creates shock value. His Beastie Boys poster of 1995 overlaps pop culture images with oversized text.-

Another current poster artist inspired by psychedelic posters of the 1960s is Alan Forbes. His work references images from the 1960s like motorbikes, television cartoons, comics, horror movie monsters, science-fiction, and Hindu art. His It All Went South poster created in 1993 uses hot colors and playfulness with text like in the 1960s psychedelic posters, along with Forbes’ own style of illustration. Thus, the spirit of the psychedelic posters of the 1960s is alive and well, even today.

Frank Kozik, Beastie Boys, 1995

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