Pop Artist Peter Max
June 14, 2008
Pop Artist Peter Max, like his contemporary Andy Warhol, had his artistic way with iconic figures: while Warhol captured Marilyn and Liz in Day-Glo glory, Max caught the visages of the Statue of Liberty, the Mona Lisa and George Washington in vibrant Technicolor (they both took a turn with Mick Jagger).
But Max is the softer character in both art and life: his canvases are happier, swirlier, and he’s a lot less hip. Perhaps it’s his unabashed patriotism and his thorough endorsement by the establishment (though not necessarily the art world establishment).
Today, Peter Max has had many international exhibitions, dozens of one-man museums shows and is in the permanent collection of over 100 museum collections worldwide.
Think of his work ‘Statue of Liberty”, “The Flag”, “Flag with Heart”, “The Grammy” and the “JFK-4 portraits. Max even featured the American pop art world itself in his work, as he painted ‘Andy with Moustache’.
His works are in paintings, fine art prints and other art media.
His vibrant subjects and bold Expressionist style have inspired for decades. As a New York rebel, Max established his own studio in the early ’60s. By he age of 24, his cosmic Surrealist art, with Deco lines and Nouveau flourishes was already recognized.
Max wasn’t too proud to have his works featured on the cover of leading commercial national and international magazines such as Time Life and Newsweek. Max has painted Lady Liberty on the White House lawn, been named the official artist for the Grammys, the United Nations Earth Summit and five Superbowls, and had his paintings grace the covers of People, U.S. News & World Report and Manhattan’s Yellow Pages-twice. Some of his most famous works include the large murals at the US Points of Entry.
Here is an artist who started as ‘enfant terrible’, became accepted by the establishment, and who has supported numerous humanitarian causes. His ‘The Better World’ print series shows the artist empathy for global concerns and reflects Peter Max’s belief in art’s powerful potential to effect positive change.
Peter Max’s colorful art are part of the fabric of contemporary American culture. He comes from an international background. He was born in Berlin and raised in Shanghai, Tibet, Israel and New York.
This multicultural background has influenced his work in various ways. Yet, his work is classic American pop art.
The Art of Peter Max
Want to bring some Peter Max home?
This big, bright coffee table book shows Max’s work in all of its wild energy, from his psychedelic posters (dorm room favorites) to his more recent forays into abstraction. Riley’s accompanying text is perfectly appropriate for a volume celebrating one of history’s most buoyantly middlebrow and accessible artists. The hardcover book has over 350 color plates.
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[…] Lee presents pop artist Peter Max on this blog and contemporary online art magazine , […]