Wes Wilson

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.

[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.

[5] Attending San Francisco State College to study philosophy and religion, he later dropped out to support his young family.

Wilson and his wife also began interacting with local artists at parties and dances, including Janis Joplin and Jerry Garcia.

"[7] His first major poster of note, which announced The Association among other groups, "features shimmering red flame-like lettering on a green background."

"[6] In the middle 1960s, the Haight-Ashbury movement increased the demand for posters and handbills in the San Francisco area, and Wilson began taking commissions.

The poster caught the attention of rock promoter Chet Helms, who commissioned Wilson to design handbills for Family Dog.

[6] On May 27, 2006, the Keyes Gallery displayed his work for groups such as the Doors, the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Sopwith Camel, and The Grass Roots.

[6] According to the News-Leader in 2006, "historians, journalists and fellow artists credit Wilson with launching an entire art movement — and the fluid block lettering style that became synonymous with the '60s — as the father of the psychedelic rock concert poster.

"[6] He experimented with fonts and colors to make it seem as if the letters were themselves moving,[5][7] helping "usher in an entirely new art style of psychedelia," along with artists such as Stanley Mouse, Alton Kelley, Victor Moscoso, and Rick Griffin.