Outer space. National symbols. Martyred sages.
These are the subjects of an artistic interpretation through a kaleidoscope of color.
It’s the work of Peter Max.
- Peter Max is a Jewish, German born American artist
- His work is often described as 'pop art' and psychedelic
- The Tampa Bay Museum of Art is hosting a Max gallery thru 9/11
Max burst onto the New York art scene in the mid 1960s. Soon after, his posters started gracing dorm rooms and living rooms across the country. His incredible use of every color still resonates with many patrons of his works.
The Tampa Museum of Art's latest exhibition is a retrospective of his work – Peter Max: 50 Years of Cosmic Dreaming – on display through September 11.
“They are really very simple messages about love and beauty and life,” said Museum curator Michael Tomar “and what good things the world has to offer."
By that, he means this world — and beyond.
“So he really embraces this notion of the next adventure,” explained Tomar. “The next great destiny is to the moon -- as everybody did at that time."
Back on this planet, when Max first arrived in the United States, he set eyes on a subject he has painted over and over-- the torch bearer in the harbor—The Statue of Liberty.
"I think that the Statue of Liberty resonated with him, having immigrated to New York City," said Tomar.
Max and his family escaped Berlin and Nazi-occupied Germany to settle in Shanghai.
It was there Max saw the beauty of Chinese calligraphy.
The family moved next to Israel before arriving in the United States.
Max was also fascinated by world leader, creating psychedelic patterns under the outlines of faces like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Another example of how Peter Max chose subject matter that relates to civil liberty and freedom and the American Dream," Tomar said.