Originating in the mid-1960s, the psychedelic art was a form of graphic art that created visual displays inspired by the experience of the drugs psychedelics and hallucinations.
Also known as psychedelia, the artworks created typically featured a full spectrum of vivid colors along with cartoons and some animation to provoke a kind of psychedelic experience when looking at the work.
The evolution of psychedelic art is considered a direct predecessor to the development and subsequent popularity of all imaginative art in existence today.
Therefore, psychedelic art encompasses all the artistic creations that emerged in the late 1960s and that tried to portray the world interior of the psyche through incredibly graphic and visual representations.
In doing so, art that seemed to be recreating experiences and hallucinations that are common after ingesting psychedelic drugs such as LSD and psilocybin was known to be psychedelic.
The term psychedelic was conceived by British psychologist Humphry Osmond after his extensive work with psychedelic drugs.
Osmond explained that the word could be used to imply a type of mental manifestation that occurred after drug use, and his term represented the emotions felt after viewing psychedelic artwork.
It is worth noting that the development of psychedelics allowed artists and poets to explore, so this new art form was quickly and fully accepted in art communities.
This was because the artworks represented more than just visual representations of the artists' hallucinatory experiences as they experimented with numerous visual styles and techniques.
While many associate psychedelic art with drugs and music rock, this art form was present even before psychedelic rock appeared on the music scene.
Psychedelic art supported the idea of creating works that challenged the traditional limitations associated with formal art, something that many artists from earlier movements had also tried.
Artwork made in this psychedelic aesthetic favored intensely contrasting colors that had the ability to make viewers' eyes tingle after looking at the work, which was a clear reference to an LSD trip.
Other important features found within the psychedelic aesthetic were spirals that appeared kaleidoscopic in nature, concentric circles, patterns, and repetitions of motifs or symbols until a pattern was formed.
Three Famous Psychedelic Artists
Psychedelic art was a popular style that developed in connection with the counterculture era in America. This led many artists to practice and experiment with this exciting new movement.
However, some artists managed to stand out from the rest due to the creation of incredibly significant works of art and for this reason we will talk very briefly about three of them.
Victor moscoso
Spanish artist Victor Moscoso became the first psychedelic artist to branch out into rock poster creation, making use of multiple photographic collages to create a distinctive style.
His professional success came from his psychedelic rock posters. Moscoso borrowed elements from comics and commercials when creating posters, and his artwork gained international attention at the 1967 Summer of Love event.
Wes Wilson
Wes Wilson is best known for his conception of the psychedelic fountain around 1966.
This artist created letters that seemed to move and melt, which is why he is also recognized as one of the five great poster artists who experimented with psychedelic art during its heyday.
PeterMax
German-American artist Peter Max was closely associated with the psychedelic and pop art movement during the 1960s and is considered a pop culture icon for his involvement in the art scene.
Max is best known for his rainbow-hued prints and paintings, as his unique style incorporated vibrant psychedelic colors with various cosmic characters and whimsical shapes.
