Saturday, May 16, 2009

The Psychedelic Experience: Denver Art Museum


I rarely write in English. I guess that's because I live in Mexico City now and the people I send this link to, are spanish speakers. Nevertheless, I feel I should write this post in english. I was just listening a Roky Erickson album and that triggered my memory. During the stupid and media obsessed swine flu, I escaped the DF boredom and flew to Denver which regularly is very low key compared to this crazy city. After visiting the Santa Fe art walk on a 1st friday, the MCA Denver and a couple of other galleries, I decided to go check out the Denver Art Museum exhibits. I didn't want to set foot in there cause the architecture is terrible and I feel dizzy all the time, but now, this feeling added to the experience of observing very closely and carefully all the rock posters from the San Francisco Bay Area from 1965-71.

My favorite psych designer was Wes Wilson who created posters for the Avalon and the Fillmore and who captured the full sensory experience of the dancehall environment and effects of psychedelic drugs.

But my ultimate favorite was David Singer who had a notable interest for collage and who avoided vibrant colors, decorative lettering and patterns that defined the earlier psych posters. Think early perks and mini.

Christopher Culver: Glass Tower @ Yautepec Galería