Visual Music, Berliner Festspiele, The New Infinity, Berlin, Germany, Sept 18, 2021
PREVIEW: Full Dome Projection, The Berliner Festspiele / The New Infinity and Zeiss Großplanetarium Berlin, Germany
Light Painting by Bill Ham. Video editing (#1; 10min, #2; 10min) by emi
Photos by Mathias Völzke
Lights, Color, Fashion: Psychedelic Posters and Patterns of 1960s San Francisco, 2020-2021
The exhibit showcases a phenomenal ensemble of San Francisco rock posters and fashion gathered by collector Gary Westford. Originally slated to open in spring of 2020, the exhibit truly signifies a light at the end of a tunnel for our programming. The collection highlights the kaleidoscopic years of 1964 to 1972, and features rock posters by all of the “Big Five” poster artists: Victor Moscoso, Rick Griffin, Wes Wilson, Stanley Mouse, and Alton Kelley. Clothing ranging from designer to street fashion will illustrate the style and sense of self-expression from West Coast scene during the time.
Lights, Color, Fashion also features a ‘60s-style black light room for visitors to experience a dozen posters plus an Op art dress that has been printed using high-intensity color and fluorescing inks that appear to glow under black light. The designs of these posters cover all genres, from a Jimi Hendrix concert to Native American, African American, and Mexican American heroes to creative, complex geometric prints.
Complementing the exhibit, experience a light show by renowned San Francisco light artist Bill Ham. The fantastic backdrops created by Ham were frequently found at rock concerts during the era. The light show, set amid the exhibition and projecting on the wall, is sure to immerse the senses.
Additional works by a variety of other artists round out the collection and add unique styles and perspectives not often seen.
Furthur Magic: A Psychedelic Poster Journey, April and May 2021
In partnership with San Francisco Recreation and Parks, the Haight Street Art Center is excited to present Furthur Magic: A Psychedelic Poster Journey. In celebration of the 150th anniversary of Golden Gate Park, this exhibition explores psychedelic poster art of the 1960s, especially in the Haight, psychedelic events in Golden Gate Park, and the ongoing legacy of the psychedelic events and styles pioneered in both places.
April 15th to May 16th, Thu-Sun 11am-5pm, at the County Fair Building, Golden Gate Park, 1199 9th Avenue.
While hallucinogens have long been a source of artistic creativity, the 1960s brought a renewed interest in the potentially mind-enhancing effects of drugs like marijuana and LSD. Members of San Francisco\’s countercultural movements experimented with these substances, and with new ways of expressing themselves in graphic and print media, perhaps most notably through posters for festivals, music performances, and other gatherings.
Furthur Magic considers the central role that Golden Gate Park and the local Haight-Ashbury neighborhood played in the development of the psychedelic movement. In January of 1967, notable figures of San Francisco\’s counterculture came together for readings and performances in the Park. The \”Human Be-In\” remains one of the most iconic moments of that time.
This exhibition also includes contemporary examples of psychedelic poster art from Levitation, a record label and festival organizer based in Austin, Texas, and the California-based band, Moonalice. Both sets of posters are a reminder of the powerful visual legacy left by the psychedelic posters of the 1960s – and the perennial search for experiences that expand the mind and promote creative expression.
The exhibition will also include historical photographs by Eugene Anthony, Herbie Greene, and Lisa Law, as well as a video installation by Bill Ham. The exhibition will be supplemented by text and audio, with insights from world-renowned journalist Ben Fong-Torres.