1940 - 2008
PETALUMA, Calif., June 2 -- Legendary artist Alton Kelley
created a graphic style that rocked the world beginning in the psychedelic
Sixties. His concert posters, logo designs, LP album covers, and fine art
have forevermore defined that time. Kelley, born June 17, 1940, passed away
peacefully at home on Sunday, June 1st 2008 of complications from a long
illness.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080602/LAM040)
He is survived by the true love of his life, Marguerite Trousdale
Kelley. He also leaves his mother Annie, sister Kathy, and beloved children
Patty, Yossarian, and China, and beautiful grandchildren Life and Lacoda.
Through his mind-expanding creativity and over several decades, Kelley
gave rock music new colors, shapes, and themes expressing the optimism and
enthusiasm of young people around the globe. His graphics defined youth
culture as much as the music itself -- in effect his art was a
break-through collaboration with musicians and bands such as the Grateful
Dead, Jerry Garcia, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix. As Joel Selvin, rock
critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, put it, "Kelley and Mouse drew the
first face on rock music."
Kelley and his life-long collaborator Stanley Mouse are best known for
their posters for "San Francisco style" dance-concerts at the Fillmore
Auditorium, Winterland arena, the Fillmore West, the Avalon Ballroom, and a
host of other Bay Area theaters and amphitheaters. They also created
world-renowned posters and album covers for the Grateful Dead, Journey,
Steve Miller, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, and others.
The two artists historically worked as a team, in their words "riffing
off each other's giggle." They joyfully appropriated from historic sources,
in one instance re-working an obscure nineteenth-century etching to create
their iconic Grateful Dead "skeleton and roses" design. They combined
vibrant Sixties color with French poster-making joi de vivre enthusiasm,
and their own adapted technique, to generate compelling pieces often issued
on a weekly basis, ultimately dazzling millions worldwide. Thus, they
changed advertising art forever, as their posters were key examples of what
became one of the most important art movements of the latter part of the
twentieth century.
When Kelley (a native of Maine) met Mouse (a native of Detroit, MI) in
San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district in late 1965 (the "Haight" was the
epicenter of the hippie movement, culminating in the "Summer of Love" in
1967), they instantly recognized they were kindred spirits in what Mouse
describes as "one of the juiciest scenes of all time." Their concert
posters, commissioned by Fillmore promoter Bill Graham and Graham's rival,
the Avalon's Family Dog collective, were eagerly snapped up by bands and
fans alike.
In the decades since, Mouse and Kelley's classics have established even
greater popularity, rivaling the interest long shown by collectors of
French turn-of-the-century Belle Epoque art made famous by Toulouse-Lautrec
and others.
"There is one word for Alton Kelley's lifelong contribution, and that
is 'iconic.'" said Dell Furano, CEO of Signatures Network. "Kelley's
artwork, designs, posters, album covers, tour logos set a standard of
inspired creativity that has remained as influential as the great San
Francisco Rock Scene of the 60's, 70's and 80's."
In his later years, Kelley joyfully turned to illustrating hot rods and
custom cars, as fine art paintings, and for t-shirts and other merchandise.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made at the Washington Mutual
Western Street branch in Petaluma, CA for a memorial bench in a Sonoma
County Park. A memorial event will be announced shortly.
For members of the press: photographs, selected artwork, and video
bites are available by contacting:
Jennifer Gross
Evolutionary Media Group
323-658-8700
Jennifer@emgpr.com
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