Wes Wilson
1937-2020
Wes Wilson is undoubtedly the king of psychedelic design – and is the one that created it. Born in Sacramento, California in 1937, Wilson invented the style that now defines the psychedelic era and peace movement of the 1960s. His famous designs, characterized by clashing colours and letters that melt into each other and fill every inch of the page, were heavily inspired by Art Nouveau.
1965 – This poster expressed Wison’s opposition to the Vietnam War 
1966 – this turned out to be the last Beatles concert
Wilson first began working at a small San Francisco press called Contact Printing. There, he designed layouts for handbills, which is what first got him noticed as a poster designer. Throughout his career, Wilson designed posters for the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Van Morrison, and the Byrds, as well as many other artists that defined the era.
He designed his famed psychedelic posters from February 1966 until May 1967. As time passed after that, though, his style began to easily be reproduced by other artists, making him replaceable. However, that does not take away from his contributions to the psychedelic design style – after all, he was the one who created the visual trend.
Poster work from 1966
In the 1970s, Wilson moved to Missouri to raise cattle, a complete lifestyle shift from his life in the ’60s. He remained an artist, working with enamelled glass and watercolours.