Psychedelic-infused art and design is taking on the mainstream. The heydey of psychedelic art and design spanned but a few years from the rump end of the 1960’s, and yet its influence continues to resonate strongly, with a new breed of artists and designers drawing on the classic works of genre in fresh and exciting ways.
Unlike psychedelic music – which has rolled into the mainstream – psychedelic art remained very much a part of the counter culture, never gaining true acceptance by the established art community of the day. It was frowned upon by the art establishment, in much the same way as freestyle graffiti was in the 1960s.
Artist such as Hurford, Gerald Scarfe, Alan Aldridge and Barney Bubbles came to encapsulate 1960’s psychedelia. Hurford was one of the main illustrators working on famed counter-culture magazine Oz.
In London around 1967 there were psychedelic posters on walls and for sale from street vendors in Oxford Street. They advertised clubs, groups and shops.
From the outset, a main outlet for psychedelic art was the music scene, and UK design group Hipgnosis was at the forefrom of this, designing cover art for outfits such as Pink Floyd, Wishbone Ash, Led Zeppelin and Genesis. In the US, meanwhile, famed designer Milton Glaser won recognition for his psychedelic Bob Dylan poster design.
While never scaling the same heights as it did during the late 1960’s, psychedelic art has maintained a strong relationship with music, but it is the realm of visual communication that it is currently currying unexpected favour. As businesses and orginizations begin to appreciate the genre’s ability to communicate rich and varied visual messages, a new generation of illustrators and designers is putting a fresh spin on the genre.
