History of Psychedelic Art Posters & Album Art
The psychedelic art and album art movements started together around 1962 and, no surprise, was tied to the drug LSD and the message of Timothy Leary about its use. The term “psychedelic” was coined around this time to mean mind manifesting or awareness because of its consciousness expanding abilities. Loud rock music playing while a person was on the drug would linger and resonate in a way that caused unexpected visions. (Continued below)
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LSD and Freek Outs
The two rock bands, The Grateful Dead and Pink Floyd, catered to performing at concerts while large numbers in the audience were using LSD. The band’s music brought much to their delight and a new vocabulary developed around these experiences with words such as “trip”, Be-Ins”, “Freak-Outs.” These events were a big influence at the time affecting fashion trends, religion and widespread use of other recreational drugs. The term “turn on” was also introduced to mean escaping traditions and everyday experiences by simply taking dose of LSD and turning onto one’s senses more closely.
Psychedelic Posters
LSD, music and changing social climate were major factors in the emergence of psychedelic art. Dance and event posters in the early 1960s came into popular use and artists were quick to use psychedelic posters as an advertising medium for the bands and events where LSD was involved. They wanted colorful art and based their images on travel posters of ships, trains and zeppelins. The lettering on these posters was also very stylish and creative. The idea was to create a poster to advertise a musical event to show excitement and the welcomed enlightenment to attendees. This was artwork created for young people at the height of fashion, music at the cutting edge of societal change. These posters were early psychedelic art. Vintage concert posters are now collector's items.
Red Dog Saloon Poster
The first psychedelic poster of was created for the band The Charlatans for a series on concerts in Virginia City, Nevada at the Red Dog Saloon. The poster is totally filled with images and words in a stylized fashion. The series of shows were successful and this new style of poster sparked the movement into gear. The artists were band members George Hunter and Michael Ferguson.
Bill Graham Concerts
There was a psychadelic revolution in the air in San Francisco in 1966 and concert promoter Bill Graham was a big part of “the scene.” Graham produced events that used the posters and it was a huge success. The early posters were usually black and white or printed on colored paper. The concert’s success however fueled more artistic creation for the posters. The psychedelic poster then developed into a highly creative art form. The typical audience was largely Hippies and they had an “everything goes” lifestyle and attitude. This gave the poster artists freedom to put their passion into their art. The posters were so colorful, decorative trippy art that people would take them from the street and into their homes as free, instant hippie art, sometimes called acid art.
Psychedelic Music
The biggest names of psychedelic music in the late 1960s used psychedelic art to advertise their albums and concerts including Big Brother and the Holding Company, Jefferson Airplane, The Byrds, Grateful Dead, The Doors and Country Joe and the Fish.
Valuable Art Today
Today an owner of an original poster from the 1960s would have a unique and valuable piece of art. The quality of work and imagination from that period affected our culture profoundly.
Other Art of Interest to Psychedelic Art & Album Art
The Web Gallery of Art
The Web Gallery of Art has Bicycle Art, King Kong Art, Photography Art, Graffiti Art, ASCII Art, Life Magazine Covers, and Landscape Art.
Bicycle Art
Bicycle Art started in paintings and posters but in reality includes the beauty of bikes themselves as artwork.
Life Magazine Covers
This collection of glamorous Life Magazine Covers has Robert Redford, Johnny Cash, Route 66, Christian Dior Dress, Ballroom Dancers for sale.
Photography Art
Photography Art has a rich history with Edward Steichen, Yousuf Karsh, and Aperture Magazine; today's digital cameras, stock agencies turn computers into "darkrooms".
Landscape Paintings
The landscape paintings art gallery features a variety of styles, places and colors that should not be missed.
Art Deco Jewelry
Vintage Art Deco jewelry is one of the most exciting areas of antique art development. It started in France using geometrical design forms and bright colors.
Art Deco Furniture
The vintage Art Deco furniture movement started in France so design could abolish the curve and move away from foreign influences.
King Kong Art
King Kong Art is inspired by the greatest monster in motion picture adventure movies. The final scene with Fay Wray on the Empire State building in New York is a classic.
Graffiti Art
Create your own colorful graffiti art by typing in your text and save the image to your computer free.
ASCII Art Gallery
The ASCII Art Gallery is more than symbols because it is communication in text and other ASCII art small messages that expressing emotions.
See Doug's Art
To check out other artwork (including sexy shoes) by Doug Dourgarian and see more links for his online art gallery click here for his web gallery of art .
Click here to leave psychedelic art & album art, psychedelic posters for more links to artistic styles, artists and their online art galleries, art prints and art posters. Browse the links found at the bottom of Home Page.
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