Peter Max, Pop Art and Psychedelic Artist, Dies at 88
Peter Max, the renowned American artist celebrated for his colorful, psychedelic artwork, passed away on 14 September 2023, at the age of 88 after battling severe dementia. Born in Berlin in 1937, he escaped Nazism, lived in Shanghai, relocated to Israel, and eventually settled in Brooklyn in 1953. By 1969, he graced the cover of Life magazine. His unique style, which fused Art Nouveau with psychedelic elements, resonated with the 1960s counterculture. In 1967, he appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show and in 1974, he designed murals for bilingual border signs. His artistic contributions included posters and products, and he played a role in the restoration of the Statue of Liberty in 1986. He is survived by his children, Adam and Libra Max.
Key facts
- Peter Max died on 14 September at age 88 after suffering from severe dementia.
- Born in Berlin in 1937, he fled Nazism, spent a decade in Shanghai, lived in Israel, and settled in Brooklyn in 1953.
- He appeared on the cover of Life magazine in 1969.
- In 1974, he was commissioned to create murals for over 200 bilingual border signs, delayed until 1977 due to 'too psychedelic' concerns.
- His first solo museum exhibition, The World of Peter Max, opened at the de Young Museum in 1970 and drew tens of thousands.
- A Smithsonian-organized exhibition of his work traveled to 46 US museums.
- He created commemorative posters for the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969.
- His work was featured on New York City Yellow Pages covers in 1970, 1973, and 2001.
Entities
Artists
- Peter Max
- Heinz Edelmann
- David D. McKinney
- Meher Baba
- Swami Sactchidananda
- Jimmy Carter
- Rosalyn Carter
- Mary Balkin
- Barbara Lissner
- Adam Max
- Libra Max
- Paul McCartney
- Taylor Swift
- Nancy Reagan
- Mary Max
- Satchidananda Saraswati
- Elizabeth Nance
- Peter Max Finkelstein
- Tom Daly
- Meade Lux Lewis
Institutions
- Life magazine
- The Ed Sullivan Show
- US General Services Administration
- General Electric
- de Young Museum
- Smithsonian
- The New York Times
- Panorama
- The Art Newspaper
- Norwegian Cruise Line
- Boeing
- Internal Revenue Service
- Yellow Submarine
- The Beatles
- Manhattan Yellow Pages
- Beatles
- US Open
- Artlyst
- Riverside Records
- Society of Illustrators
- American Cancer Society
- Peace Corps
- United Nations
- Time magazine
- People magazine
- Park West Galleries
- Art Students League
- Lafayette High School
- Technion
- MTV
- The Washington Post
- Yahoo!
Locations
- Berlin
- Germany
- Shanghai
- China
- Israel
- Brooklyn
- United States
- Las Vegas
- San Francisco
- New York City
- New York
- Tibet
- Paris
- France
- Harlem
- White House
- Berlino
- Germania
- Manhattan
- Haifa
- Bensonhurst
- Riverside Drive
- Central Park
- Seattle