Wes Wilson

For the American professional baseball player, see Weston Wilson.
Wes Wilson
Born
Robert Wesley Wilson

(1937-07-15)July 15, 1937
Sacramento, California, U.S.
DiedJanuary 24, 2020(2020-01-24) (aged 82)
Leann, Missouri, U.S.
Known forPsychedelic art, Poster art, Painting
MovementPsychedelic art

Robert Wesley Wilson (July 15, 1937 – January 24, 2020) was an American artist and one of the leading designers of psychedelic posters.[1] Best known for designing posters for Bill Graham of The Fillmore in San Francisco, he invented a style that is now synonymous with the peace movement, the psychedelic era and the 1960s. In particular, he was known for inventing and popularizing a "psychedelic" font around 1966 that made the letters look like they were moving or melting.[2]

His style was heavily influenced by the Art Nouveau movement.[3] Wilson was considered to be one of "The Big Five" San Francisco poster artists, along with Alton Kelley, Victor Moscoso, Rick Griffin, and Stanley Mouse.[4]

  1. ^ Marks, Ben (October 7, 2011). "Where Hard Rock Meets Pop Art". The New York Times Style Magazine. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
  2. ^ "Wes Wilson", Classic Posters, Retrieved on 30 January 2013.
  3. ^ Rawsthorn, Alice (March 16, 2009). "Tripping Back to the World of Psychedelia". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  4. ^ "When Art Rocked: San Francisco Music Posters, 1966-1971". Boing Boing. October 14, 2014. Retrieved February 1, 2018.