The psychedelic revolution, born in San Francisco, soon spread to Europe at the end of the 1960’s.
Product of the hippie community, this counter-culture questioned American materialism and conservative norms, while defending important issues such as human rights, peace and feminism.
1967 – Victor MOSCOSO
SoldThis pacifist revolution manifested itself in different ways in a new style of communal living, impregnated with peace, eroticism, free love, music, drugs, and the exploration of new visual spaces.
This aesthetic research was reflected in the huge amount of psychedelic posters that were produced by the San Francisco music scene.
In 1967 psychedelia erupted on to the pop music scene in London, thanks largely to the Beatles. Remember “Sgt.Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band” and “Yellow Submarine”?
The new psychedelic style would strongly influence the world of music and fashion. A multitude of psychedelic record covers were created by graphic designers.
The creative energy also spread thanks to the growing popularity of the decorative poster.
In fact, it was at the end of the sixties that teenagers began to pin up posters of their favorite bands on their bedroom walls, as well as decorative posters inspired by psychedelia or fantasy.
1969 – Greg Irons
CHF 95.–
1967 – Wes WILSON
CHF 65.–
1967 – Robert Samuel Fried
SoldIt was through this new young market, in full post-war baby boom, that psychedelic culture would profoundly transform our ideas and culture.
However, even though this movement had a considerable influence on our society, it is striking to note that, outside of concert posters, there were surprisingly very few advertising posters made in the psychedelic style. Only a few graphic artists and advertisers were inspired by this counter-culture and its colorful aesthetics.
Revolutionary and disruptive, judged by many as scandalous, this movement was never really “recycled” by the world of advertising. It is certainly for this reason that there are such a small amount of examples on the market. That fact makes these posters all the more rare and interesting.
It is with pleasure that Galerie 1 2 3 presents its diligently assembled collection of over 40 years.
Our exhibition includes fifty or so original English, French, Swiss, and European posters. Whether created for concerts or designed for products, they are all inspired by Psychedelia.
Several iconographical pearls printed in the USA will accompany our exhibition.
All are original editions of that time and they still enable us dream of a world of peace and love.
Have a nice trip!
JD Clerc
1968 – AMBROSE
CHF 1270.–
The world “Psychedelic” derives from the Greek words “psyche”, meaning the ‘soul’ and ‘delos’, meaning ‘manifesting’.
Hence, Psychedelic Art, inspired by the Indian “mandala”, illustrates the manifestations of the soul, and the modifications of consciousness and perception provoked by the hallucinogenic drug LSD.
Through its optical illusions and fluorescent colors, reminiscent of art Nouveau, with its deformed curvilinear typography, this new aesthetic plunges us into the world of hallucinations and fantasy.
1967 – Richard AVEDON
CHF 530.–
1967 – Richard AVEDON
CHF 970.–
1967 – Richard AVEDON
CHF 770.–
Richard Avedon photographed and colorized, with the “colovir” process, the 4 Beatles portraits that were published in the ‘Look’ magazine in 1967. These photos were considered as decorative posters and spread around the world. The Beatle’s LP “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” was released the same year.
These two publications contributed to the diffusion of this new hippie culture which was not yet very popular in Europe but was quickly embraced by an entire generation of teenagers.
The three portraits of the Beatles constitute a remarkable example of several tendencies of the hippie movement and Psychedelic Art: Ringo Starr appears in non-complementary colors, with a dove of Peace.
George Harrison’s painted tattoos are inscribed with the mandala and evoke their mystical quest.
John Lennon is presented in bright red on an acid yellow background wearing kaleidoscopic glasses which are resonant with Kinetic and Optical Art; important sources of inspiration for Psychedelic Art.
1967 – Michael ENGLISH
SoldIn 1967, the English illustrator Michael English designed his famous poster for the Love Festival, incorporating psychedelic typography and fluorescent lips inspired by Man Ray.
This poster is considered a major work of psychedelic counter-culture and as the first European artwork of the Pop Art poster.
The bright colors of Psychedelic Art were used by some European artists for advertising posters.
1967 – Günther KIESER
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2013 – Jean-Marc HUMM
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1970 – Andrzej KRAJEWSKI
CHF 970.–
1968 – Ruedi KÜLLING
CHF 1170.–
1980 – Niklaus TROXLER
CHF 2490.–
1971 – Willy RIESER
CHF 830.–
1995 – Yves SAINT LAURENT
CHF 1160.–
1996 – Yves SAINT LAURENT
CHF 1160.–
2001 – Yves SAINT LAURENT
CHF 1070.–
1969 – ANONYMOUS
SoldIn 1969, the Beatles released the animated film “Yellow Submarine”. This illustration by Heinz Edelmann testifies to the joyful and phantasmagoric blend of Psychedelic Art imagery.
1970 circa – Elvira VOMSTEIN
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1970 – Elvira VOMSTEIN
CHF 470.–
In 1970 Elvira Vomstein created several posters for the Swiss beer cartel evoking the joyful and childish spirit of the yellow submarine.
1986 – Laurent COCCHI
SoldThis poster for “Lerescher confiseur in Vevey” is a good example of the inspired dream-like nature of the ‘Yellow Submarine’
The hippies protested against the authorities and against the Vietnam war. This pacifist movement coined the phrase “Flower power”.
1966 – Milton GLASER
CHF 750.–
Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and many other artists also expressed their mobilization against the war via their “protest songs”
The American graphic designer Milton Glaser created this poster of Bob Dylan in 1966 on the release of Dylan’s album “greatest hits”.
This iconic psychedelic illustration represents the profile of the singer’s face in dark silhouette contrasted with the rainbow colors of his hair.
1966 – Wes WILSON
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1967 – Graham MACLEAN
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1968 circa – Bruce FLEMING
CHF 490.–
In reference to the Bible, and to the covenant offered by God to Noah, the rainbow is a symbol of peace. The rainbow's colors were also presented in the form of a flag. It was designed in 1923, by the international cooperative movement based in Basel, Switzerland, to promote the movement’s ideas of international solidarity, economic efficiency, equality and world peace.
The rainbow flag became a standard for the pacifist struggle and a symbol for harmony in life and nature. It was used by the Hippy Movement with their love of fantastical color, by the Rainbow Family and later by the New Age Movement.
SWISSAIR
1970 circa – Hans-Ulrich OSTERWALDER
CHF 1150.–
In a 1970’s poster for Swissair, the anonymous artist presents us with a sunrise, a starry sky and a rainbow a heart shape alluding to biblical visions and universality.
In the second poster of the series, an imaginary flight of birds in psychedelic colors suggests dreams of liberty.
1970 circa – Hans-Ulrich OSTERWALDER
SoldSINALCO
The ultimate goal of the Hippie Movement was the promotion of a humanitarian ideology that focused on peace and love, personal freedom, harmony with nature and communal living.
This respect for the environment shown by the Hippie Movement would become, moreover, the origin of the modern ecologist movement.
1973 – Heiri SCHMID
CHF 390.–
In 1973, Sinalco printed two posters that illustrate this libertarian atmosphere.
The figures in these posters wear flower t-shirts and bell jeans and are having a party in a relaxed mood, illustrating exuberant and fanciful nature in psychedelic colors.
1970 circa – Heiri SCHMID
CHF 350.–
These posters in the Swiss format were displayed in the streets but were also available as decorative posters offered by the company in exchange for 12 Sinalco coupons collected on bottles.
1970 circa – ANONYMOUS
CHF 470.–
Poster for the Album "A love supreme" which shows the text of the song created in 1964 overprinted on a portrait of John Coltrane.
1975 circa – (photographe) RYSER
CHF 330.–
The above posters constitute an example of the influence of “Flower power” on clothing and fashion as can be seen from the flowery bathing suit for the “Pharmacie Principale”, and the magnificent bathing suit of rainbow colors for the pin up “Hamol”.
It is remarkable that the psychedelic imagery is expressed via the design of the bathing suits. The fashion sector welcomed such fantasy.
1963 – Edgar KUNG
Sold1968 circa – Bruce FLEMING
CHF 490.–
"Make love, not war. An I Was Lord Kitchener's Valet poster"
This company was a fashion boutique, famous in the 1960s "Swinging London" for selling antique military uniforms.
The tourist poster was also inspired by the liberating and hedonistic spirit of the Hippie Movement and flower power, as in the two posters by Steve Carpenter for Anzère and Monte-Carlo.
1974 circa – Steve Carpenter
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1970 circa – Steve Carpenter
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1970 – Armando LOSA
CHF 960.–
1978 – Angelica GRAZIOLI
CHF 870.–
1895 – Will H. BRADLEY
SoldMany psychedelic artists were inspired by Art Nouveau, a movement created at the end of the 19th century, inspired by nature.
This art embraced ornamental stylizations dominated by curves and floral patterns. Beautiful women with long curly hair are often presented in luxurious nature.
Many posters of the San Francisco music scene included Art Nouveau elements in their posters.
1967 – Charles Clifford
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1967 – Victor MOSCOSO
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1967 – Wes WILSON
SoldThe visual richness of Art Nouveau inspired European and American artists and would also be re-used by Psychedelic Art.
Curly hair and floral fantasy would be converted to represent the effects of drugs and their hallucinations. The gold and pastel colors of Art Nouveau became bright and even fluorescent.
1970 – Gunilla RUDLING
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1967 – Constance E. KEELAN
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1968 – lb K. OLSEN
CHF 930.–
1970 circa – P. DE MOURJEAU, Jean-Louis MERRÉ
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1970 circa – P. DE MOURJEAU, Jean-Louis MERRÉ
SoldIn the 70’s, a few European graphic designers would be inspired by Art Nouveau.
1969 – Donald BRUN
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1971 – Annamarie GODAT
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1975 – ANONYMOUS
CHF 370.–
1967 – Peter MAX
Sold< Hand-signed and dedicaced by Peter Max
A poster for SNCF directly inspired by Art Nouveau and its typography >
1970 – G. BENARD
CHF 790.–
A unique example of the use of Psychedelic Art by the automobile industry, for the R4 and the R16.
The artist used the style to give these small models the feeling of pleasure and freedom.
1970 circa – ENSEMBLE 5 STUDIO
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1970 circa – ENSEMBLE 5 STUDIO
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1970 circa – ENSEMBLE 5 STUDIO
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1966 – Victor MOSCOSO
SoldArt Nouveau typography is also present in psychedelic posters. The distortion of the type inspired by Art Nouveau is also associated with the visual deformations caused by hallucinogenic drugs.
These distortions were pushed to the extreme, on some of the San Francisco examples. The texts are almost invisible and require concentration, a visual change, or blinking of the eyes to render the text readable.
In Europe, this tendency towards the hallucinatory was certainly less extreme, but it is nevertheless present in some advertising posters.
1970 circa – VALLIER
CHF 175.–
The two posters for the “Tube Jazz Club” in Geneva, portray, in electric colors, fantastical imagery and deformed typography.
1970 circa – VALLIER
CHF 175.–
1990 circa – ANONYMOUS
< In this surprising poster against taxes, made for “Vigilance” a Swiss conservative party, the graphic artist used psychedelic typography together with Pop Art colors.
Pop Love Peace,
at the palais des Expositions in Geneva >
1972 – NIKTO SHR
CHF 360.–
1966 – Wes WILSON
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1968 – Lee CONKLIN
CHF 90.–
1967 – Wes WILSON
CHF 90.–
1967 – Graham MACLEAN
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1967 – Graham MACLEAN
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1967 – Wes WILSON
CHF 95.–
The use of drugs such as LSD, mescaline, psilocybin and hashish became strongly associated with the Hippie Movement.
This subject is either treated in a direct or in a more roundabout way.
1967 – Mark KANEN
SoldACID MAN
Love
Hate
Reality
Fantasy
Good
Life
Death
1967 – Rick GRIFFIN
CHF 670.–
1967 – Rick GRIFFIN
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1967 – Rick GRIFFIN
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1967 – Victor MOSCOSO
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1971 – Paul LEBER, Charlotte SCHMID
CHF 450.–
1967 – Richard AVEDON
CHF 970.–
With this same goal of reproducing hallucinations in graphic terms, Psychedelic Art was directly inspired by Kinetic Art at the end of the 1950’s, and by Op Art or Optical Art at the beginning of the 60’s.
1968 – Wilfred Weisser
CHF 120.–
Constructed out of the effects of optical illusions, this Art played with visual deformations, spirals and a special play of volumes in perspective.
1968 – Graham MACLEAN
CHF 110.–
1968 – Thomas EDISON
SoldA great poster for the American band ‘Jefferson Airplane’, an example of the integration of American Indian culture by the Hippie Movement.
On this poster, the artist made the deliberate decision to make the reading of the information difficult by ‘pixelizing’ the text in a squared frame.
The effect is visually similar to a traditional Indian carpet.
Seen up close, this poster is unreadable and it is only when seen from a certain distance and concentrating on different colors and perspectives that the text suddenly jumps out: ‘Clear light, pinnacle Shrine Exp.Hall, dance Concert Feb 23-24’.
Only the initiated of Psychedelic Art were invited to this concert.
Transformations and reversals of perspectives, as many other optical effects from the sixties were incorporated by European graphic designers.
1987 – Jean-Benoit LEVY
CHF 330.–
1991 – Hans KNUCHEL
CHF 540.–
1990 – Remy FABRIKANT
CHF 390.–
1965 – Günther KIESER
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1990 – Melchior IMBODEN
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1970 circa – ANONYMOUS
CHF 790.–
1967 – Victor MOSCOSO
CHF 670.–
To illustrate “trips” brought on by hallucinogenic drugs, Psychedelia reused Surrealism and the fantastical imaginary world.
Monsters and skulls co-existed in a symbolically erotic drama.
1969 – Walter DIETHELM
CHF 330.–
1970 – Balz BAECHI
CHF 650.–
1967 – Victor MOSCOSO
CHF 560.–
1967 – Lee CONKLIN
CHF 85.–
1968 – Lee CONKLIN
CHF 95.–
1968 – Lee CONKLIN
CHF 75.–
1968 – Rick GRIFFIN, Victor MOSCOSO
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1967 – Graham MACLEAN
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1968 – Rick GRIFFIN
SoldA fantastic universe which would be reused by European comic artists, such as Philippe Druillet.
1978 circa – Philippe DRUILLET
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1973 – Philippe DRUILLET
CHF 1670.–
New
1974 – Philippe DRUILLET
CHF 730.–
THE LORD OF THE RINGS
1967 – Flora BARUCH
CHF 260.–
Two posters, printed by Berkeley Bonaparte in 1967, representing Frodo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey, both heroes of ‘The Lord of the Rings’, the epic “heroic fantasy” which was adopted as “the” bedside book by the Hippie Movement.
1967 – Doug MARKKANEN
CHF 360.–
TRIP ART
1969 – Ivan PASLAVSKY
CHF 570.–
Examples of “Trip Art” posters that were pinned up by 70’s teenagers.
1972 – ANONYMOUS
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1967 – Rick GRIFFIN
SoldMeditation, drug use, American Indian culture, and even the influence of an Indian guru on the Beatles would all open the way towards spiritual and mystical quests.
1967 – Victor MOSCOSO
Sold1968 – AMBROSE
CHF 1270.–
1967 – Richard AVEDON
CHF 770.–
1967 circa – ANONYMOUS
CHF 70.–
1968 – Lee CONKLIN
CHF 80.–
1968 – Lee CONKLIN
CHF 90.–
1970 circa – ANONYMOUS
SoldThe eruption of hippie, pop, and folk culture meant that posters of teenager’s favorite bands were easily available and even included in the music magazines of the time, such as “Rock and Folk” “The Rolling Stone” and “Salut les Copains”.
Both music posters and decorative posters were simply pinned to most teenager’s bedroom walls.
1970 circa – ANONYMOUS
CHF 950.–
1967 – BLASHFIELD
CHF 590.–
For the first time, mass production posters were printed specifically to be hung in the home.
It was the advent of the poster industry, which soon became worldwide and the beginning of home poster decoration.
1999 – Ron DONOVAN, Chuck SPERRY
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1974 – ANONYMOUS
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1970 circa – Hans GOERSCH
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1967 – J.W. MCHUGH
CHF 470.–
1968 – lb K. OLSEN
CHF 590.–
1968 – lb K. OLSEN
CHF 930.–
