Off the Wall: Psychedelic Rock Posters from San Francisco

In the mid-1960s, San Francisco rock, or psychedelic rock, emerged in Haight Ashbury, fueled by the use of hallucinogenic drugs like LSD. Groups and musicians such as the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Santana and others rose to prominence and in turn influenced musical groups around the USA and in other parts of the world, from the Velvet Underground to Sly and the Family Stone to The Beatles and the Rolling Stones. The posters announcing the concerts that were held at places such as the fabled Fillmore and the Avalon Ballroom matched the revolutionary music with their brilliant, swirling colours and hallucinogenic imagery. Created by some of the most inventive graphic designers of the era, including the 'Big Five' of psychedelic poster design - Wes Wilson, Victor Moscoso, Rick Griffin, Alton Kelley and Stanley 'Mouse' Miller - these groundbreaking posters reflect a singular moment in the history of American culture. This book showcases well over a hundred of the most striking, original and unconventional posters from this memorable period, stunningly printed in five colours to best reproduce the rich hues and dizzying patterns of the originals. The accompanying texts explain the influences ranging from Art Nouveau and Op Art on psychedelic poster design, and discuss the contributions of dozens of artists.