Peter Max, artist who achieved ubiquity marrying Pop art and psychedelia, has died, aged 88
A celebrity in his own right who also created riotous portraits of many famous and powerful people, Max made images that became inseparable from the legacy of the Summer of Love and countercultural movement
American artist Peter Max, known for his fusion of Pop art and psychedelia, passed away at the age of 88 on September 14. Born to Jewish parents in Berlin in 1937, his family fled Nazi Germany as infants, eventually settling in Brooklyn in 1953. Max's career reached new heights in the 1960s when he became a prominent art star, appearing on the cover of Life magazine.
His vibrant, color-filled works, blending Art Nouveau, Op art, and psychedelic motifs, reflected the optimistic spirit of the 1967 Summer of Love. Max's iconic style made him a subject of both acclaim and criticism, with some dismissing his work as the visual art equivalent of the Beatles' music. Despite this, he was featured on The Ed Sullivan Show that same year, live painting large, mirrored images.
In 1974, Max created welcoming murals for US border signs, a project delayed due to concerns they were "too psychedelic." By the 1970s, Max had successfully brought psychedelic art into mainstream culture through posters, consumer products, and commercial campaigns. His work was even commissioned by General Electric in 1969 for a line of "art clocks" and featured on 72 product lines.
Max's artistic journey was deeply influenced by his interest in astronomy, which he developed in his youth. He created commemorative posters for the Apollo II moon landing in 1969, including an Indian guru Meher Baba's quote about unity. Max continued to create art even as his health declined, crediting the yoga master Swami Satchidananda for teaching him the art of letting go.
His first solo museum exhibition in 1970 drew tens of thousands of visitors, and his work was featured on New York City Yellow Pages phone books multiple times. In 2007, Max returned to the de Young Museum for another historic exhibition, Peter Max and the Summer of Love. He later became a patriotic artist and contributed portraits to several presidents, particularly championed by Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter.
Max's final years were marked by worsening mental health, allegations of exploitation, and legal battles over his care. He is survived by his children Adam and Libra Max.
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