close window Peter Max (born Peter Max Finkelstein, October 19, 1937) is a German-born Jewish American artist best known for his iconic art style in the 1960s. At first, his “Cosmic 60s” art, as it came to be known, appeared on posters and were seen on the walls of college dorms all across America. Max then became fascinated with new printing techniques that allowed for four-color reproduction on product merchandise. Following his success with a line of art clocks for
General Electric, Max’s art was licensed by 72 corporations and he had become a household name. In September 1969 Max appeared on the cover of Life Magazine with an eight-page feature article as well as the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and the Ed Sullivan Show.[1]
Peter Max was born in Berlin in 1937, spent his childhood
in China, Tibet, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and finally
settled in the United States. His pan-cultural background has
made his work rich in artistic diversity. From the calligraphy
of the Buddhist monks to the Classical statuary in Parisian
gardens, Max was inspired by the elegance of the line which
gives birth to form. In New York, Max attended the Art Students
League, the Pratt Institute, and the School of Visual Arts.
After completing his studies, he opened a design studio and in
the next few years won more than sixty-five awards for product,
fashion, food, book, and poster designs.
In the 1960s, Max rose to youthful prominence with his famous
style, a bold, linear form of painting which employed shocking
color juxtapositions and depicted transcendental themes. As his
expressionistic style evolved, becoming more sensuous and
painterly, his unique symbolism and vibrant color palette have
continued to inspire new generations of Americans for decades.
In 1964 he closed the studio to go into "creative retreat." It
was then that he began making colorful, mind-expanding
silkscreens. His second retreat was from 1972 until 1976, during
that time he created the first "Preserve the Environment"
Postage Stamp commemorating Expo 74 for the World Fair in
Spokane, Washington. In 1976, he was selected to paint 235
border murals at entry points to Canada and Mexico. The same
year, he created a painting of each of the 50 states, resulting
in a book, Peter Max Paints America, dedicated to the
Bicentennial.
In 1981, he painted
six liberty portraits for Ronald and Nancy Reagan, and in 1993
his famous '100 Clintons' installation. Max has painted for five
American presidents; Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush the Elder, and
Clinton. He has had approximately forty museum shows
internationally, and more than fifty gallery shows worldwide.
His works appear in the collections of many prominent museums,
including the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
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Peter Max (born Peter Max Finkelstein, October 19, 1937) is a