Midterm Project Description

For the midterm project, my partner and I will be creating a poster based on psychedelic poster art in a design that would have been seen during the 1960's-1970's, which was when it dominated the world of art. We will focus on the origins of the psychedelic art, including the tests performed by Oscar Janigar that first illustrated the effects drugs such as LSD had on artists, which appeared to have played a large part in the start of this movement. The characteristics that were often found within the art will be listed, as well as some of the bigger names in music that used this art form as a way to advertise their albums and concerts. The layout and actual design of the poster has not yet been determined but it will provide important information regarding psychedelic art.

Pyscheledia was born within the hippie subculture of the Hait-Ashbury district in San Francisco. The name “psychedelic” related directly the psychedelic drugs that was popular within the youth culture of the 1960s and psychedelic art is any king of visual artwork inspired by experiences induced by these drugs, such as LSD, mescaline and psilocybin. LSD was believed to enhance create output due to the experiments conducted by psychiatrist, Oscar Janigar. He had about fifty artists create a painting, the subject their choice, and then had them recreate the same painting while under the influence of LSD. The latter paintings were often viewed as the better work. Psychedelic art dominated the world of art from 1966 to 1972. However, psychedelia wasn’t just confined to painting. It was a style that flourished in fashion design, interior décor, underground magazines, tie-dye textiles, as well as extending into murals and the advertising world to promote campaigns and sell products.

Art Nouveau, Victorian Art, Underground Comics were an influence to this art form.

Many artists used psychedelic art as a way to advertise their albums and concerts. Some of the biggest names to do this included Big Brother and the Holding Company, Jefferson Airplane, The Byrds, Grateful Dead, The Doors and Country Joe and the Fish.

CHARATERISTICS OF PSYCHEDELIC ART:

·         Saturated, iridescent or acidic, bright and highly contrasting colors.

·         The subject matter that was generally used was in the realm of the fantastic and surrealist.

·         Kaleidoscopic, fractal and paisley patterns were used most.

·         Different subjects and themes were used and morphed in order to create collages.

·         Spirals, concentric circles, patterns of diffraction, and repetition of images and motifs were integral to this art movement.

·         The use of typography and lettering was unique to this art form. Artists would often use positive and negative spaces as well as warp text to create imagery.

ARTISTS:

Pablo Amaringo

Brummbaer

Mark Boyle and Joan Hills

James Clifford

Robert Crumb

Roger Dean

Warren Dayton

Scott Draves

Ernst Fuchs

H. R. Giger

Alex Grey

Rick Griffin

John Hurford

Alton Kelley

Mati Klarwein

Bob Masse

Peter Max

Stanley "Mouse" Miller

Victor Moscoso

Vali Myers

Martin Sharp

Gilbert Shelton

Grace Slick

Harold Thornton

Vernon Treweeke

John Van Hamersveld                  

Robert Williams

Wes Wilson

Oleg A. Korolev

Karl Ferris