Tune In, Turn On...

I recently came across Ben Marks' excellent piece on the history of the psychedelic rock poster. The article, on boingboing.net, reminded me of the connection between rock and roll and art, which has always been powerful but never as transcendent than in the "pschedelic Sixties." Fashion, photography and illustration collided with sex, drugs and rock'n'roll to birth an entirely new visual movement that was most famously represented in the poster art of San Francisco. The repercussions from the work of men like Stanley Mouse, Alton Kelley, Victor Moscoso and Rick Griffin still resonate today and Marks' piece should be required reading for those with an interest in graphic design and art direction, as well as anyone fascinated by the history of rock music.

Marks has also curated an exhibit for the SFO Museum entitled "When Art Rocked: San Francisco Music Posters 1966-1971" and if you're in the area it should move to the top of your list of stops. The display runs through March 2015.

Ted Owen's definitive book "High Art: A History of the Psychedelic Poster" provides a wealth of information on the various art movements that inspired these revolutionary artists and boasts an impressive array of the different styes of the era.

If you have the time, you should defintiely tune in, turn on and drop in....it is mind-blowing stuff!

#graphicdesign #artdirection #posterart #musicposters #pyschedelia #highart