Legendary Psychedelic Poster Artist Wes Wilson Dead At 82
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Legendary psychedelic poster artist Wes Wilson has died at 82. As The New York Times reports, he passed away at his home in Missouri last week and no cause was given.
Wilson designed posters for such artists like the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Buffalo Springfield, Van Morrison, the Byrds, and many more. His distinctive style — which included vibrant colors and trippy, hard-to-read, melting letters — influenced generations of poster designers to come.
Wilson’s most notable posters were commissioned by concert promoter Bill Graham, who produced shows at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, as well as Chet Helms, who was at the nearby Avalon Ballroom.
He is considered one of the Big Five San Francisco poster artists alongside Alton Kelley, Victor Moscoso, Rick Griffin, and Stanley Mouse. Wilson’s work has been exhibited numerous times over the years. He also maintained a blog in which he reflected on some of his designs.
