Psychodelic Art

PSYCHEDELICS

The word "psychedelic" (coined by British psychologist Humphry Osmond) means "mind manifesting." According to this definition, any artistic effort that aims to visualize the inner world of the psyche can be considered "psychedelic."

Birth of Psychedelic Art

Psychedelia began in the 1960s and was closely associated with the hippie movement, which opened the hearts and minds of artists, musicians, and philosophers. The experiences induced by magic mushrooms or other psychedelics led artists to express altered states of perception. They started to create previously unknown realities by activating dormant parts of their minds. Distortions, intensified colors, hypnotic fractals, and surreal imagery began to fill the art world. Psychedelic aesthetics favored high-contrast colors that appeared to vibrate when viewed – a direct reference to the visual effects experienced during a trip (e.g., under LSD). Surrealism and Art Nouveau elements also had a significant influence on the expression of this style.

The cradle of psychedelic counterculture was San Francisco. Cultural movements based around music venues such as Fillmore West and Avalon Ballroom gave rise to the first psychedelic posters promoting legendary acts like Jefferson Airplane and Big Brother and the Holding Company. The rise of offset printing over lithographic methods opened new possibilities that psychedelic artists eagerly embraced.

Psychedelic Artists

Notable poster artists include Rick Griffin, Bonnie MacLean, Alton Kelley, Wes Wilson, and Victor Moscoso. Moscoso used comic-book elements and gained international fame during the “Summer of Love” festival in 1967. Wilson was known for his melting, fluid fonts that became iconic in that era.

Bright colors, strong saturation, distortions, rubbery fonts, collages, and symmetry – all these characterized the Californian poster scene, which promoted music events, called for social change, and visualized the anti-war movement.

London also played a significant role in this movement. There, op-art emerged, showcasing optical illusion patterns. The most famous artist of that time was Bridget Riley.

The music industry also embraced psychedelic art, especially album covers. The jazz-rock fusion albums of Miles Davis were visually marked by Mati Klarwein, while the design group Hipgnosis graphically supported Pink Floyd's iconic records.

Let us not forget that "Poles are no strangers to art." A Polish pioneer of psychedelic aesthetics was Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz – Witkacy. We encourage you to explore his life and unique body of work.