The Psychedelic Experience: Rock Posters from the San Francisco Bay Area, 1965-1971
When: March 21-July 19, 2009
Where: Denver Art Museum
More Info: www.DenverArtMuseum.org
This spring, the Denver Art Museum (DAM) is asking: Are you experienced?
DAM will celebrate the era that espoused free love, a vibrant rock music scene and spectacular graphic design with The Psychedelic Experience: Rock Posters from the San Francisco Bay Area, 1965-1971. The exhibition will showcase more than 250 wildly experimental and visually stunning works from DAM’s newly acquired collection of posters promoting dance concerts and other “happenings” that have since become iconic symbols of the youth culture of the '60s and '70s. Put some flowers in your hair and get ready for an eye-opening art trip back in time! (Image Credit: Victor Moscoso, March 28-30/April 4-6, 1967, Matrix Denver Art Museum: Collection of David and Sheryl Tippit, 331.2007 © 1967 Victor Moscoso)
The exhibition will take visitors through the psychedelic movement’s early years, where designs were influenced by the art of the past, including the curvilinear forms of the Art Nouveau movement and the bright, eye-popping intensity of '60s Op Art. The San Francisco music scene was stirred by multiple musical influences, including the British Invasion, the American folk music revival of the '50s and ‘60s, Chicago electric blues, and soul sounds from Memphis and Detroit. In later years, the posters took on a more surrealistic tone, with dreamlike and hallucinatory designs that appealed to the drug-oriented youth culture.
Artists featured in the exhibition will include the movement’s major contributors: Wes Wilson, Bonnie MacLean, Victor Moscoso, Rick Griffin, Lee Conklin, David Singer, and design duo Alton Kelley and Stanley “Mouse” Miller, among many others.
The Psychedelic Experience promises to be one of the most immersive and interactive in the DAM’s history. Visitors are encouraged to get into the spirit of the era of experimentation and free thinking through video, music, and interactive outlets available in the Martin & McCormick Gallery. Featuring the music of the time, hands-on poster making and a do-it-yourself light show, these experiences will bring the posters to life.
Discover more about this upcoming exhibit at www.DenverArtMuseum.org.