Peter Max: Cosmic Advertising

October 14, 2021–March 27, 2022
A visitor enjoying an assortment of psychedelic posters on a black gallery wall.

Peter Max is the most commercially successful pop artist to emerge from the psychedelic period of the 1960s. His fantastical, colorful designs have emboldened everything from bed sheets to the body of a Boeing 777, with prestigious clients like the Grammy Awards, the Super Bowl, the NHL All-Star Game, the World Cup USA, the New York City Marathon, and even the Manhattan Yellow Pages commissioning him for his particular brand of whimsy.

And yet, his early posters have rarely been explored in depth. Whether advertising a quirky clothing store or inspiring young minds to read, the imagery present in these graphics reveals a designer experimenting with a variety of styles and motifs while also exploring the concepts of space, time, and history through promotional visuals.

This exhibition was made possible through a generous loan from Peter Max Studio/ALP, Inc.

Copyright 2021 ALP INC.




Selected Images

A photo offset illustrational poster of a head in the center of a rainbow starburst with cosmic imagery surrounding it.
The Different Drummer, 1968
Peter Max
A photo offset poster of a black and white photo of Toulouse Lautrec with his name in rainbow letters inside a bowler hat.
Toulouse Lautrec, 1967
Peter Max
A photo offset illustrational poster of a rainbow horizon with a colorful arch surrounding a woman with a feather fan. Below an ombre section displays featured fashion designers.
Penney’s Rainbow Lane, 1967
Peter Max
A photo offset poster of a black and white vintage photo of a couple dancing around a giant beer bottle. Above is a huge circle in rainbow tones.
Jazzmobile, 1967
Peter Max