Bonnie McLean: Women in Psychadelic Design.

When thinking about the pioneers of the Psychedelic Design, it’s often the male forefront that comes into people’s mind, like Wes Wilson. Women designers during this era were less well-known, however, this didn’t stop Bonnie McLean from standing out. She, later on, stepped into the ‘Big Five’ group in 1967. Before then, she was deeply immersed in the cultural scene just like the Big Five.

McLean became the main designer for the Filmore West, where she created playful letterforms and patterns, like optical illusions. Most of the posters she made were in fact handmade and painted, a technique she believes, even today, to be essential. McLean heavily drew inspiration from the Art Nouveau and Medieval Gothic styles, like many others, but started to develop her own style through “elaborate plumes, curving letters and stoic faces.”

She was also heavily involved with the feminist movement in the 60s and used her design skills to communicate this as well. They took advantage of the cheap printing presses and mass-produced posters touching on progressive ideas. This provided a steppingstone for women during this era and inspire generations to follow: women have a space in any industry, despite many of them being male-dominated.