Despite being considered part of the psychedelic wave in the 1960s, Alton Kelley’s poster designs set themselves apart with their art-nouveau-inspired intricate patterns, stylized type, and bold use of colour.
Like many artists, Kelley studied in art school, though he was more preoccupied with his passion for motorcycles. It wasn’t until moving to the now historic neighbourhood of Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco that his art career kicked off. He founded the Family Dog – a group of creatives in the psychedelic scene – and was tasked with creating posters to promote their concerts.
Kelley’s forte wasn’t in his draftsmanship, so he teamed up with artist Stanley Miller (Mouse) to form Mouse Studios. Kelley would provide images and layout design, while Mouse would contribute the drawings and lettering. In total, they churned out over 150 concert posters; when Kelley’s draftsmanship later improved, they would produce a poster a week.
At the time, these posters were handed out for free at the door of concerts. Today, a mint-condition poster sells for $5000 or more.
The duo soon became well known, producing concert posters for Jimi Hendrix, Bo Diddley, Big Brother and the Holding Company, and most notably, The Grateful Dead. The band adopted the skeleton surrounded by roses motif from one of their posters to use as their emblem.