The art of Peter Max inevitably evokes memories (or daydreams) of the turbulent and liberating era of the 1960s. An iconic figure of the time, the artist created memorable paintings and posters that came to represent the youthful experimentation of the period. Often described as psychedelic or cosmic art, Peter Max is the contemporary of other memorable artists of the era such as Andy Warhol. Peter Max’s art has become so iconic that the artist has appeared on the cover of Life Magazine and on numerous late night talk shows. Max’s artwork has even decorated the fuselage of a commercial airliner. Peter Max’s style is instantly recognizable and instantly grabs the viewer’s attention despite the number of media he employs.
Max is a German born American artist who is formally trained as a realist artist in Paris and New York. There was little interest in this form of art at the time, and the artist lived a life of meager means in New York City occasionally creating art for album covers. This all changed in the 1960s when the artist combined his interest in astronomy with his youthful zeal, creating a new kind of art in his free time that would eventually envelope his whole life. These early works were instantly popular, and in a matter of years, his artwork could be found everywhere, embraced by the counter culture movements.
The association with the 1960s has not limited his creative output, however. Throughout the artist’s long career Max has constantly revised and reinvented his style, passing from one medium to another, always managing to turn out engaging, vibrant images that portray a false sense of effortlessness. Starting with images that relied heavily on planets and space, the artist has moved beyond these colorful celestial compositions to an almost limitless supply of fantasy inducing subjects. The ease of his work is what is most appealing; the images seem to have sprung from his head fully formed and without any hesitation.
Perpetually active, the artist has kept a rigorous schedule of speaking engagements across the country, having just recently visited a gallery in Chicagoland. Max has retained his style and playfulness and often applies it to creating images of well known political figures and American icons such as the Statue of Liberty. The artist, far from being a relic from the past, is an artist entirely in tune with the social, artistic, and social climate of the time.
Max is well known for his innovative use of print technology, examples of which MIR Appraisal Services, Inc. has in its collection as shown on the online gallery. These pieces of art vary in terms of size, style and subject matter, but all possess the essence of Max’s creative energy. Highly collectable, the pieces are strong on their own but even stronger in groups and add a great deal of interest to the space they inhabit. Energetic, dynamic, simple and thought provoking, pieces by Peter Max never disappoint.
Works cited:
Cox, Ted. “Artist Peter Max to Appear at Woodfield Gallery,” in Daily Herald.
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=306093&src=1
Kociela, Ed. “Return to the Pyschodelic (sic.) Art of the ‘60s at The Art of Peter Max,”
in The Spectrum.
http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20090710/ENTERTAINMENT05/907100325/Return+to+the+psycahelic+art+of+the++60s+at+The+Art+of+Peter+Max
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=306093&src=1
Kociela, Ed. “Return to the Pyschodelic (sic.) Art of the ‘60s at The Art of Peter Max,”
in The Spectrum.
http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20090710/ENTERTAINMENT05/907100325/Return+to+the+psycahelic+art+of+the++60s+at+The+Art+of+Peter+Max
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