Psychedelia

Psychedelia emerged in America around the 1960’s and influenced all pop culture including music, fashion and art. After World War two, there was an economic boom in America which also led to a great increase in babies being born, also known as “the baby boom”. This means that by the 1960`s these babies were now young adults. They started questioning the materialism and the traditionalist society and political norms. This led to a revolution in order to change these traditional values and to create a democratic society without any trace of discrimination. Women started to actively protest about the traditional roles of a housewife.

Wes Wilson Concert Poster
for 'The Association' 1966

Posters that were made during this time more than to advertise a particular product or service, they were used in order to make a statement about a particular social point of view. Psychedelic posters made the spectator feel the sensations related with mind expanding drugs. Various influences can still be seen when one looks at the posters; the flowing graceful curves from art nouveau, the subjects from pop art and the vibrating colours of op-art. Initially these posters were made for rock and roll concerts and dance promoters. These posters graphically showed the atmosphere in these events by using illegible text, distorted forms and garnish colours. Artists at that time took Hector Guimard`s alphabet and changed block Uppercase letters into delirious letterforms. 

Wes Wilson The Grateful Dead Poster 1966

One of the most influential people working in this style was Wes Wilson. In his concert poster for ‘The Grateful Dead’, ‘Junior Wells Chicago Blues Band’ and ‘the Doors’ one can see all the characteristics of a psychedelic poster; the swirling forms, the garnish colours and the illegible text all feature in the poster. In fact, it was Wilson that invented and popularized the psychedelic font which looked like the words are dissolving or in motion. At the same time however, the composition is well thought out and strategically arranged.

Victor Moscoso poster for the
Chambers Brothers 1967

Another Important artist is Victor Moscoso. He was a student of the vibrating colour`s founding father Albers.  He is one of the few artists that was formally trained since most of the artists working in this manner were self thought. He was very much inspired by art nouveau, pop art, Victorian images as well as comic books. In his work, Moscoso took colours from opposite ends of the colour wheel in their highest intensity in order to achieve that vibrating effect bringing the poster to life. In his poster for the Miller Blues Band one can see and image of a female nude figure with swirling lines around her. The Text is on top of the figure following the motion of the lines. The intensity of the colours make the poster vibrates with energy which reflects the energy of the band and their music as well as the atmosphere during the concert.

There are still contemporary artists that still work in this style especially the French graphic artist Lucas Donaud. In his work he incorporates collage, psychedelic elements as well as hand drawn typography.

Lucas Donaud - Christian Bland and
The Revelators 2014

 

Lucas Donaud- Poster for Spectrum 2014

Lucas Donaud- Signal -
 Glazart & Exploration Music 2014

I personally find that these works are very energetic and exciting however, although I very much like bright colours, the way they used colour is a bit tiring. There is so much contrast that after a while you tend to have look away to relax the eyes. At the same time however, I think that it is this same aspect that made psychedelia so popular during that time. It reflected greatly what happened in society at the time which made it all the more popular. 






References:

Philip B. Meggs, 2011. Meggs' History of Graphic Design. 5 Edition. Wiley.

Steven Heller, 2012. 100 Ideas that Changed Graphic Design. 3.3.2012 Edition. Laurence King Publishing.

The Counterculture of the 1960s . 2015. The Counterculture of the 1960s . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.cliffsnotes.com/more-subjects/history/us-history-ii/the-new-frontier-and-the-great-society/the-counterculture-of-the-1960s. [Accessed 03 January 2015].

Psychedelic 60s | Graphic Design History. 2015. Psychedelic 60s | Graphic Design History. [ONLINE] Available at:http://visualartsdepartment.wordpress.com/psychedelic-60s/. [Accessed 03 January 2015].