Wes Wilson - Inside a Psychedelic Mind

WES WILSON 1960

art + culture

juxtapoz

INSIDE A PSYCHEDELIC MIND

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We’re going to try something different t o d ay

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- Wes Wilson

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Juxtapoz

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es Wilson, also known as the father of 60’s rock concert posters, always had a love for drawing and the natural world since childhood. He studied forestry and horticulture in college before moving on to philosophy. With a natural talent for art and an interest in printing, Wilson began his career at a small printing company in the 1960s working on basic layout designs and in 1966, he designed the poster for the first Trips Festival in which he also attended. It was during this experience with the festivals sights and sounds along with the visual effects of LSD that he found most of his inspiration.

Soon after, Wilson began designing weekly posters for promoters Chet Helms and Bill Graham at the Avalon Ballroom and Fillmore Auditorium.

Wilson eventually began producing posters exclusively for Bill Graham as it allowed more artistic freedom.

It was Wilson who was the true pioneer of the psychedelic poster that mesmerized audiences during the 1960s. His letter forms appeared as if it was moving and filling almost every free space on the page creating

these groovy posters. Inspired by the Viennese Secessionist lettering style that was similar to the lettering he was producing, Wilson began experimenting with the weight and shape of his letter forms, further refining his style.

In the mid-1960s, Wilson designed a poster for the Winterland venue nicknamed ‘The Sound’, it featured two aspects of his iconic style, his famous moving letter forms and his admiration and appreciation for the female form.

Wes Wilson continued to produce psychedelic posters for various other venues and in 1968, received a $5000 award by The National Endowment for the Arts for his influence to American Art and was profiled in many publications such as Life, Time and Variety magazines.

Throughout the years, Wilson’s work has been featured in museums & art galleries, he has created and published in depth journals and was also the executive producer of three large poster conventions. Today, Wilson continues to create art by painting and still occasionally designs posters.

Wes Wilsin

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- Wes Wilson

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The female form represents some of the best things about our culture.