Session 10: Revolution in the Head - sixties counter culture

2/12/2020

Task 10:
Choose one of the artists listed below...

Wes Wilson
Victor Moscoso
Rick Griffin
Bonnie MacLean
Martin Sharp
Mouse & Kelley
Robert Crumb
Alan Aldridge

Collate and post a collection of representative work (i.e. work that is that artist is reknowned for) on your blog. Identify and research your chosen artists’ own artistic influences (for example, Victor Moscoso cites Joseph Albers).

Find examples of their work to post alongside those of your chosen artist, highlighting through brief annotation, where that influence can be recognised (if at all). Please make sure all images are credited to the artist and image source.

Bonnie MacLean
(1939-1960/70s)

Bonnie MacLean, born in Philadelphia, 1939 and grew up in Trenton NJ. Bonnie was the only female artist in San Francisco to design posters. Wes Wilson was a main poster artist for the Fillmore Auditorium but eventually quit over a dispute over money in which MacLean stepped in and took over his job in 1967.

MacLean’s earlier work has been based on Wilson’s where her images are straightforward based on Medieval, Gothic and European sources within her drawing and lettering. Over the years her poster art matured in developing and identifying as she became comfortable, this led her to find a unique style that would celebrate portraiture and swirling, psychedelic typography.

Pink Floyd, Jefferson Airplane, The Who and The Doors are some of the most notable bands that MacLean promoted through her Illustrative posters.

MacLean experimented in bright contrasting colours in 1967 which would incorporate optical illusions. Her designs where also influenced by the Art Nouveau Movement.

[PSYCHEDELIC ROCK CONCERTS.] Group of 7 posters , 1967

The Yardbirds & The Doors , 1967

Pink Floyd , 1967

THE DOORS / CHUCK BERRY / SALVATION AND MANY OTHERS CONCERT POSTER , 1967

NEW YEARS EVE / JEFFERSON AIRPLANE , 1967

Bonnie MacLean Gallery

Bonnie MacLean Illustrations

Bonnie MacLean - The New York Times

The Art of Influence: 60s Poster Artist Bonnie MacLean

[PSYCHEDELIC ROCK CONCERTS.] Group of 7 posters , 1967 - Bonnie MacLean

BG-55 :: March 17-18, 1967 :: featuring Chuck Berry, Grateful Dead, Johnny Talbot and De Thangs - Wes Wilson

I have taken Wes Wilson's poster as an influence on one of MacLean's work. The influence shows among the colours and how they've both used monochromes with hints of black, In MacLean's poster she has used lighter hues for the text and skin compared to Wilson who's text is brighter than the skin on the illustration of the female.

The layout is overall similar as the texts curve around the space, with MacLean's she has it part of the females attire compared to Wilson's who's is shoved to the left hand side - both pieces being a bit hard to read though there are some words are still eligible to read.

The compositions are somewhat similar as well for most of MacLean's work but for this specific work she focuses more in the centre of the image where your eyes lead around the text to her face. Wilson's composition is a bit tricky to identify as it feels squished though the snakes that wrap around the females body does lead away from the text and more to the female.