The art world is mourning the loss of Peter Max. A statement from his son confirmed that Max passed away on Monday, September 14.
A cause of death had not been revealed, but it had previously been reported that Max had been diagnosed with dementia. He was 88 years old.
Pop Art Pioneer
Max emerged as part of the pop art movement of the 1960s, alongside such contemporaries as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichetenstein.
Max’s work was characterized by bold colors and a psychedlic style that came to be identified with the hippie “flower power” movement inspired by the music of that era.
However, his popularity was not confined to that decade. In later years, Max served as official artist for the Olympics, the Super Bowl, the Indianapolis 500, the World Cup, the World Series and a variety of other events.
In addition, his distinctive artwork appeared on everything from a Boeing 777 airplane to a Norwegian Cruise Line ship, while his portraits included the likes of Bob Dylan, U.S. President Barack Obama and Taylor Swift.
Tributes to a Legend
“We will remember his extraordinary creativity, his warmth, his curiosity, and the way he saw beauty and possibility everywhere,” his son, Adam Max, said in the statement announcing the death, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
“His art became part of American culture, but the man behind that art — the father we knew and loved — is the person we will miss most.”
Max’s work was sold extensively through Park West Gallery, which paid tribute to the late artist via Instagram.
“Peter was far more than an extraordinary artist to me — he was a dear friend and an important part of the Park West Gallery family for more than five decades. Our relationship began in the early 1970s, and I had the privilege of watching Peter’s remarkable vision, boundless optimism and unmistakable use of color touch generations of people around the world,” wrote Park West founder and CEO Albert Scaglione.
“Peter created a visual language entirely his own. His art celebrated freedom, love, hope and the extraordinary possibilities of life. His passing is deeply personal for me, for my family and for all of us at Park West Gallery,” Scaglione continued. “We have lost an American icon, but Peter’s brilliant colors, joyful spirit and extraordinary legacy will live forever through his art.”
Art of Its Time
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Max once said, “I see everything through rainbow eyes.”
Despite being one of the few artists to define pop art, Max expressed a humility about his role in the movement.
In a 2011 interview with the Florida Times-Union, Max considered himself “lucky,” explaining that his style “was so cosmic, so aligned with the Beatles,” that it was inevitable it would connect with the zeitgeist of the late 1960s.
“It’s not something I would take credit for,” Max said. “In mind and spirit, I was very much of that era … I got into the groove of what was going on culturally. It just happened to me.”
