Equality, respect, and LOVE were the code words for the 1960s-1970s.
There were concerted efforts to get fairer treatment for marginalized people. We had Earth Day, Gay Liberation Day, and the Civil Rights Movement. We had the Golden Age of socially conscious television, music, and film making — Mary Tyler Moore, All in the Family, Saturday Night Live, and Marvin Gaye singing “What’s Going On.”
One of the best visual artists embodying these themes was Peter Max. His artwork is a visual version of the Beatles, David Bowie, and Parliament and the Funkadelics — psychedelic neo expressionism with a dash of abstraction.
He painted America in a happy, innovative way. His patriotic work is colorful and expansive. His use of bright, eye-popping colors make his artwork immediately recognizable.
Peter’s paintings of the Statue of Liberty and pieces featuring the American flag are upbeat and optimistic. When viewing his paintings I hear the Beatles singing “All You Need is Love,” Edwin Hawkins singing “Oh Happy Day,” Frankie Beverly and Maze’s “Happy Feelin’s,” and Sly and the Family Stone singing “Hot Fun in the Summertime.”
Peter was a global citizen at an early age. Born in Nazi Germany in 1937, he relocated with his parents to Shanghai. At a very early age Peter had two definitive passions, art and astronomy. He also enjoyed comic books, movies, and jazz. He discovered primary colors in Shanghai while watching Buddhist monks.
He studied under Professor Hünik (a Viennese expressionist professor), and later took art lessons at the Louvre. Peter’s work shows his love of astronomy, color, and the influence of living next door to a Buddhist monastery. He stated, “The Swami and yoga taught me a whole new way to draw.”
Peter’s work is also commercially successful. He created art for the covers of Time, Life, and TV Guide. As a pop culture icon, he was a guest star on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, where the set design featured his poster art.
He has painted six presidents, 235 “welcome to America” murals at entry points on the US and Canada borders, and the US and Mexico borders. His illustration can be seen on the first ten-cent postage stamp commemorating the Expo ’74 World’s Fair.
Take care should you decide to add a Peter Max piece to your collection. Mr. Max is still living but he has had dementia for some time. Although 20th century Dutch-American artist Willem de Kooning had the ailment and remained productive, there are questions about Mr. Max’s ability to complete new works. His work is plentiful at Park West Galleries on cruise ships.