Peter Max
Encyclopedia
Peter Max is a German
-born Jewish American artist. At first, works in this style appeared on posters and were seen on the walls of college dorms all across America. Max then became fascinated with new printing techniques that allowed for four-color reproduction on product merchandise. Following his success with a line of art clocks for General Electric
, Max’s art was licensed by 72 corporations and he had become a household name. In September 1969 Max appeared on the cover of Life Magazine with an eight-page feature article as well as the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and the Ed Sullivan Show.
, China
, where they lived for the next ten years. They lived in a pagoda-style house that overlooked a Buddhist temple, where Peter would observe monks painting calligraphic images with large bamboo brushes on large sheets of rice paper. His Chinese nanny taught Peter how to hold and paint with a brush by using the movement of his wrist and his mother encouraged him to develop his art skills by leaving a variety of art supplies on the balconies of the pagoda and told him to “go ahead and make a mess; we’ll clean it all up after you.”
In 1948, the family departed on a ship that took them on a 48 day sea journey around the continent of Africa
and arrived at the port of Haifa
, right after Israel
had attained its statehood.
They lived in Haifa for two years, and while Peter attended grade school, he simultaneously developed an interest in art and astronomy. His parents supported his interests by sending him to private art classes with a Viennese expressionist painter, Professor Honick, as well as weekly classes in astronomy at the Technion Institute on Mount Carmel
.
From Israel, the family continued their journey westward and stopped in Paris
for several months. That experience greatly enriched Peter’s appreciation of art; he sketched classic statuary in Parisian gardens, devoured the museums, and even took art classes at the Louvre
. While he was impressed by the works of the European Expressionists and Fauvism
, he was particularly fascinated with the paintings of William-Adolphe Bouguereau
, who was a traditionalist, renowned for his photo-realist style. The influence of Bouguereau, and later, John Singer Sargent
, were instrumental in motivating Peter to take up realism when he began his formal art studies at the Art Students League of New York
.
1953 attending Lafayette High School (New York City)
. One of Peter’s friends and classmates was actor Paul Sorvino
. In 1956, Max began his formal art training at the Art Students League of New York
in Manhattan
, studying anatomy, figure drawing and composition under Frank J. Reilly
, whom he had considered a master of light and shadow. Reilly himself had studied at the League alongside of Norman Rockwell
, under the tutelage of George Bridgman
, who was considered to be one of the great anatomists of the 20th century and taught at the League for 45 years.
, and the three worked as a group on books and advertising. In 1963, Daly, Max and Rubbo did the illustration, design and color for Helga Sandburg's (the daughter of poet Carl Sandburg
) children's book Joel and the Wild Goose. Max was commissioned by Riverside Records
to create cover art for Meade Lux Lewis
. The album art won a gold medal from the Society of Illustrators
in 1962. With the use of photographic images as elements of collage, Max organized the Bettman Panopticon exhibition utilizing the antique photo content of the Bettman archives. It was considered one of the most avant-garde
exhibitions of the New York graphic arts scene. His interest in Astronomy
led to his Cosmic 60s period by way of art posters. He appeared on the Tonight Show in 1968 and on the cover of LIFE magazine on 9-5-1969. Max's 1968 LOVE poster was emblematic of late 60s pop-culture iconography.
World's Fair in Spokane
, Washington. July 4, 1976, Max began his Statue of Liberty
series leading to his efforts with Chrysler
CEO Lee Iacocca
to help spearhead the restoration of the statue.
1976 also saw the commissioning of Peter Max Paints America by the ASEA of Sweden. The book project commemorated America's bicentennial and included the following foreword. "Peter Max Paints America is based on works of art commissioned by ASEA of Sweden on the 200th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America, in sincere recognition of the historic bonds of friendship between the people of Sweden and the people of the United States, recalling that Sweden was one of the first countries to extend its hand in friendship to the new nation."
, The Super Bowl and others.
He also hosted the Xpress Peter Max Coloring Contest in the St. Petersburg Times in November 2005. The contest, located in St. Petersburg, Florida, was a contest for children to color in a sketch by Max. Of 800 entries, 90 were sent to Max, who chose a grand prize winner, a runner-up and 10 honorable mentions in each of the three age categories: 5-8, 9-13 and 14-18. Grand prize winners and runners-up received a piece of original art by Max, presented to them at the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg. Each honorable mention student received a signed Peter Max poster.
Max's art work was a part of the psychedelic movement in graphic design. His work was much imitated in commercial illustration in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Although Max's style and the animation style of the Beatles
film Yellow Submarine
appear to closely resemble each other, Max was not part of the film's production. However, according to Yellow Submarine expert Bob Hieronimus, Max claims that prior to going into production, producer Al Brodax
approached him to work on the film, and Max believes that his style influenced the film's artwork (as opposed to the claims of others that the opposite is in fact the case). Despite his lack of actual involvement in the film's creation, Max has often been introduced as its creator at personal appearances in the media.
He works in multiple media, including oil
, acrylics
, water colors, fingerpaint
s, dyes, pastels, charcoal
, pen
, multi-colored pencils, etchings, engraving
s, animation cels
, lithographs, serigraphs
, ceramics
, sculpture
, collage
, video
, xerox
, fax
, and computer graphics
. He also includes mass media
as a "canvas
" for his creative expression.
Max often uses American symbol
s in his artwork and has done paintings and projects for presidents Ford
, Carter
, Reagan
and Bush
. Recently he created his 100 Clintons, a multiple portrait installation
whose images were used through the four days of the Presidential inauguration
. More recently, Max completed his fourth Grammy-Award
poster, redesigned NBC
television's symbolic peacock, was appointed as the official artist for the World Cup USA
1994 and created a "Peace Accord" painting
for the White House
to commemorate a historic signing.
One of Continental Airlines
' Boeing 777-200ER
aircraft (registered N77014) sported a special livery
designed by Max. The livery was removed in the winter of 2007–2008.
His artwork is currently on the walls of CBS's The Early Show
where his newly created installation of 44 Obamas, commemorating the 44th President of The United States
, was debuted.
s, dating from 1953 to 1988, one for each year. The collection has been horribly neglected.
Peter Max is an environmentalist
and defender of human and animal rights.
Peter Max was in the news in 2002 when he offered to provide a life of green fields for Cinci Freedom
, a cow that escaped from an Ohio
slaughterhouse. The cow leapt over a six-foot fence while the slaughterhouse workers were on break and eluded capture for eleven days. "This little girl's will—facing the end of her life, being so frightened, then taking the risk of all risks to live, to be free—touched me so deeply," Max was quoted as saying, "It was so inspiring. I knew I had to try to preserve that wonderful spirit." Max donated $20 worth of his art
to benefit the local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
, to ensure her a long life of peace at Farm Sanctuary
in Watkins Glen, New York.
Peter Max currently lives in New York City
with his wife, Mary Max.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-born Jewish American artist. At first, works in this style appeared on posters and were seen on the walls of college dorms all across America. Max then became fascinated with new printing techniques that allowed for four-color reproduction on product merchandise. Following his success with a line of art clocks for General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
, Max’s art was licensed by 72 corporations and he had become a household name. In September 1969 Max appeared on the cover of Life Magazine with an eight-page feature article as well as the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and the Ed Sullivan Show.
Childhood
Peter Max's childhood began when he and his parents fled Nazi Germany, (Berlin, Germany) in 1938 to escape the Holocaust and traveled to ShanghaiShanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, where they lived for the next ten years. They lived in a pagoda-style house that overlooked a Buddhist temple, where Peter would observe monks painting calligraphic images with large bamboo brushes on large sheets of rice paper. His Chinese nanny taught Peter how to hold and paint with a brush by using the movement of his wrist and his mother encouraged him to develop his art skills by leaving a variety of art supplies on the balconies of the pagoda and told him to “go ahead and make a mess; we’ll clean it all up after you.”
In 1948, the family departed on a ship that took them on a 48 day sea journey around the continent of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and arrived at the port of Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
, right after Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
had attained its statehood.
They lived in Haifa for two years, and while Peter attended grade school, he simultaneously developed an interest in art and astronomy. His parents supported his interests by sending him to private art classes with a Viennese expressionist painter, Professor Honick, as well as weekly classes in astronomy at the Technion Institute on Mount Carmel
Mount Carmel
Mount Carmel ; , Kármēlos; , Kurmul or جبل مار إلياس Jabal Mar Elyas 'Mount Saint Elias') is a coastal mountain range in northern Israel stretching from the Mediterranean Sea towards the southeast. Archaeologists have discovered ancient wine and oil presses at various locations on Mt. Carmel...
.
From Israel, the family continued their journey westward and stopped in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
for several months. That experience greatly enriched Peter’s appreciation of art; he sketched classic statuary in Parisian gardens, devoured the museums, and even took art classes at the Louvre
Louvre
The Musée du Louvre – in English, the Louvre Museum or simply the Louvre – is one of the world's largest museums, the most visited art museum in the world and a historic monument. A central landmark of Paris, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement...
. While he was impressed by the works of the European Expressionists and Fauvism
Fauvism
Fauvism is the style of les Fauves , a short-lived and loose group of early twentieth-century Modern artists whose works emphasized painterly qualities and strong colour over the representational or realistic values retained by Impressionism...
, he was particularly fascinated with the paintings of William-Adolphe Bouguereau
William-Adolphe Bouguereau
William-Adolphe Bouguereau was a French academic painter. William Bouguereau was a traditionalist; in his realistic genre paintings he used mythological themes, making modern interpretations of Classical subjects, with an emphasis on the female human body.-Life and career :William-Adolphe...
, who was a traditionalist, renowned for his photo-realist style. The influence of Bouguereau, and later, John Singer Sargent
John Singer Sargent
John Singer Sargent was an American artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Edwardian era luxury. During his career, he created roughly 900 oil paintings and more than 2,000 watercolors, as well as countless sketches and charcoal drawings...
, were instrumental in motivating Peter to take up realism when he began his formal art studies at the Art Students League of New York
Art Students League of New York
The Art Students League of New York is an art school located on West 57th Street in New York City. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists, and has maintained for over 130 years a tradition of offering reasonably priced classes on a...
.
The 1950s
Peter and his parents first settled in Bensonhurst, BrooklynBensonhurst, Brooklyn
Bensonhurst is a neighborhood located in the southwestern part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn.-Geography:Sometimes erroneously thought to include all or parts of such neighborhoods as Bath Beach, Dyker Heights, and Borough Park, or to be defined by the streets where the concentration of...
1953 attending Lafayette High School (New York City)
Lafayette High School (New York City)
Lafayette High School is a large secondary school located in the Bath Beach section of Brooklyn, New York City, New York . It is currently one of the low performing high schools of the city and is operated by the New York City Department of Education.-History:...
. One of Peter’s friends and classmates was actor Paul Sorvino
Paul Sorvino
Paul Anthony Sorvino is an American actor. He often portrays authority figures on both sides of the law, and is possibly best known for his roles as Paulie Cicero, a portrayal of Paul Vario in the film Goodfellas and Sgt. Phil Cerreta on the police procedural and legal drama television series Law...
. In 1956, Max began his formal art training at the Art Students League of New York
Art Students League of New York
The Art Students League of New York is an art school located on West 57th Street in New York City. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists, and has maintained for over 130 years a tradition of offering reasonably priced classes on a...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, studying anatomy, figure drawing and composition under Frank J. Reilly
Frank J. Reilly
Frank J. Reilly A.N.A. was an American painter, illustrator, muralist, and teacher. He taught drawing and painting at the Grand Central School of Art, and illustration at Pratt Institute and Moore College of Art. However, he is best known for his twenty-eight years of instructing at the Art...
, whom he had considered a master of light and shadow. Reilly himself had studied at the League alongside of Norman Rockwell
Norman Rockwell
Norman Percevel Rockwell was a 20th-century American painter and illustrator. His works enjoy a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of American culture. Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life scenarios he created for The Saturday Evening...
, under the tutelage of George Bridgman
George Bridgman
George Brant Bridgman was a Canadian-American painter, writer, and teacher in the fields of anatomy and figure drawing. Bridgman taught anatomy for artists at the Art Students League of New York for some 45 years....
, who was considered to be one of the great anatomists of the 20th century and taught at the League for 45 years.
The 1960s
In 1962 Max started a small Manhattan arts studio with friend Tom Daly, The Daly & Max Studio. Daly and Max were joined by friend and mentor Don RubboDon Rubbo
Don Rubbo was a mentor and guide of such renowned creative talents as Peter Max and an affiliate of Andy Warhol in the mid-1960s...
, and the three worked as a group on books and advertising. In 1963, Daly, Max and Rubbo did the illustration, design and color for Helga Sandburg's (the daughter of poet Carl Sandburg
Carl Sandburg
Carl Sandburg was an American writer and editor, best known for his poetry. He won three Pulitzer Prizes, two for his poetry and another for a biography of Abraham Lincoln. H. L. Mencken called Carl Sandburg "indubitably an American in every pulse-beat."-Biography:Sandburg was born in Galesburg,...
) children's book Joel and the Wild Goose. Max was commissioned by Riverside Records
Riverside Records
Riverside Records was a United States record label specializing in jazz. Founded by Orrin Keepnews and Bill Grauer under his firm Bill Grauer Productions, Inc. in 1953, the label was a major presence in the jazz record industry for a decade...
to create cover art for Meade Lux Lewis
Meade Lux Lewis
Meade Lux Lewis was a American pianist and composer, noted for his work in the boogie-woogie style. His best known work, "Honky Tonk Train Blues", has been recorded in various contexts, often in a big band arrangement...
. The album art won a gold medal from the Society of Illustrators
Society of Illustrators
The Society of Illustrators is a professional society based in New York City. Founded in 1901, the mission of the Society is to promote the art and appreciation of illustration, as well as its history...
in 1962. With the use of photographic images as elements of collage, Max organized the Bettman Panopticon exhibition utilizing the antique photo content of the Bettman archives. It was considered one of the most avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
exhibitions of the New York graphic arts scene. His interest in Astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
led to his Cosmic 60s period by way of art posters. He appeared on the Tonight Show in 1968 and on the cover of LIFE magazine on 9-5-1969. Max's 1968 LOVE poster was emblematic of late 60s pop-culture iconography.
The 1970s
In 1970, many of Max's products and posters were featured in the exhibition "The World of Peter Max" which opened at the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum in San Francisco. The US Postal Service commissioned Max to create the first 10¢ postage stamp to commemorate the Expo '74Expo '74
Expo '74 was an environmentally themed world's fair in Spokane, Washington that ran from 4 May to 3 November 1974.Expo '74, in proclaiming itself the first exposition on an environmental theme, distanced itself from the more techno-centric world's fairs of the sixties...
World's Fair in Spokane
Spokane
Spokane is a city in the U.S. state of Washington.Spokane may also refer to:*Spokane *Spokane River*Spokane, Missouri*Spokane Valley, Washington*Spokane County, Washington*Spokane-Coeur d'Alene-Paloos War*Spokane * USS Spokane...
, Washington. July 4, 1976, Max began his Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
series leading to his efforts with Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
CEO Lee Iacocca
Lee Iacocca
Lido Anthony "Lee" Iacocca is an American businessman known for engineering the Mustang, the unsuccessful Ford Pinto, being fired from Ford Motor Company, and his revival of the Chrysler Corporation in the 1980s...
to help spearhead the restoration of the statue.
1976 also saw the commissioning of Peter Max Paints America by the ASEA of Sweden. The book project commemorated America's bicentennial and included the following foreword. "Peter Max Paints America is based on works of art commissioned by ASEA of Sweden on the 200th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America, in sincere recognition of the historic bonds of friendship between the people of Sweden and the people of the United States, recalling that Sweden was one of the first countries to extend its hand in friendship to the new nation."
The 1980s to present
Official artist for many major events including Grammy Awards, Rock and Roll Hall of FameRock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
, The Super Bowl and others.
He also hosted the Xpress Peter Max Coloring Contest in the St. Petersburg Times in November 2005. The contest, located in St. Petersburg, Florida, was a contest for children to color in a sketch by Max. Of 800 entries, 90 were sent to Max, who chose a grand prize winner, a runner-up and 10 honorable mentions in each of the three age categories: 5-8, 9-13 and 14-18. Grand prize winners and runners-up received a piece of original art by Max, presented to them at the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg. Each honorable mention student received a signed Peter Max poster.
Work
Although Max's style and the animation style of the Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
film Yellow Submarine
Yellow Submarine (film)
Yellow Submarine is a 1968 animated musical fantasy film based on the music of The Beatles. It is also the title for the film's soundtrack album, released as part of The Beatles' music catalogue. The film was directed by animation producer George Dunning, and produced by United Artists and King...
appear to closely resemble each other, Max was not part of the film's production. However, according to Yellow Submarine expert Bob Hieronimus, Max claims that prior to going into production, producer Al Brodax
Al Brodax
Al Brodax is an American film and television producer. He was sometimes credited as "Al Broadax."-Career:At the age of eighteen, Brodax enlisted in the US Army and served in World War II...
approached him to work on the film, and Max believes that his style influenced the film's artwork (as opposed to the claims of others that the opposite is in fact the case). Despite his lack of actual involvement in the film's creation, Max has often been introduced as its creator at personal appearances in the media.
He works in multiple media, including oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
, acrylics
Acrylic paint
Acrylic paint is fast drying paint containing pigment suspension in acrylic polymer emulsion. Acrylic paints can be diluted with water, but become water-resistant when dry...
, water colors, fingerpaint
Fingerpaint
Fingerpaint is a kind of paint intended to be applied with the fingers; it typically comes in pots and is used by small children, though it has occasionally been used by adults either to teach art to children, or for their own use....
s, dyes, pastels, charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
, pen
Pen
A pen is a device used to apply ink to a surface, usually paper, for writing or drawing. Historically, reed pens, quill pens, and dip pens were used, with a nib of some sort to be dipped in the ink. Ruling pens allow precise adjustment of line width, and still find a few specialized uses, but...
, multi-colored pencils, etchings, engraving
Engraving
Engraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing...
s, animation cels
Cel
A cel, short for celluloid, is a transparent sheet on which objects are drawn or painted for traditional, hand-drawn animation. Actual celluloid was used during the first half of the 20th century, but since it was flammable and dimensionally unstable it was largely replaced by cellulose acetate...
, lithographs, serigraphs
Screen-printing
Screen printing is a printing technique that uses a woven mesh to support an ink-blocking stencil. The attached stencil forms open areas of mesh that transfer ink or other printable materials which can be pressed through the mesh as a sharp-edged image onto a substrate...
, ceramics
Ceramic art
In art history, ceramics and ceramic art mean art objects such as figures, tiles, and tableware made from clay and other raw materials by the process of pottery. Some ceramic products are regarded as fine art, while others are regarded as decorative, industrial or applied art objects, or as...
, sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
, collage
Collage
A collage is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole....
, video
Video
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
, xerox
Xerox
Xerox Corporation is an American multinational document management corporation that produced and sells a range of color and black-and-white printers, multifunction systems, photo copiers, digital production printing presses, and related consulting services and supplies...
, fax
Fax
Fax , sometimes called telecopying, is the telephonic transmission of scanned printed material , normally to a telephone number connected to a printer or other output device...
, and computer graphics
Computer graphics
Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....
. He also includes mass media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
as a "canvas
Canvas
Canvas is an extremely heavy-duty plain-woven fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, and other items for which sturdiness is required. It is also popularly used by artists as a painting surface, typically stretched across a wooden frame...
" for his creative expression.
Max often uses American symbol
Symbol
A symbol is something which represents an idea, a physical entity or a process but is distinct from it. The purpose of a symbol is to communicate meaning. For example, a red octagon may be a symbol for "STOP". On a map, a picture of a tent might represent a campsite. Numerals are symbols for...
s in his artwork and has done paintings and projects for presidents Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
, Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
, Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
and Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
. Recently he created his 100 Clintons, a multiple portrait installation
Installation art
Installation art describes an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often called Land art; however, the boundaries between...
whose images were used through the four days of the Presidential inauguration
Presidential Inauguration
A Presidential Inauguration is a formal ceremony to mark the beginning of a leader's term of office. To see detailed information on specific presidents, see the links below:* Brazilian presidential inauguration* Croatian presidential inauguration...
. More recently, Max completed his fourth Grammy-Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
poster, redesigned NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television's symbolic peacock, was appointed as the official artist for the World Cup USA
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
1994 and created a "Peace Accord" painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
for the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
to commemorate a historic signing.
One of Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
' Boeing 777-200ER
Boeing 777
The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model...
aircraft (registered N77014) sported a special livery
Livery
A livery is a uniform, insignia or symbol adorning, in a non-military context, a person, an object or a vehicle that denotes a relationship between the wearer of the livery and an individual or corporate body. Often, elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or corporate body feature in...
designed by Max. The livery was removed in the winter of 2007–2008.
His artwork is currently on the walls of CBS's The Early Show
The Early Show
The Early Show is an American television morning news talk show broadcast by CBS from New York City. The program airs live from 7 to 9 a.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday; most affiliates in the Central, Mountain, and Pacific time zones air the show on tape-delay from 7 to 9 a.m. local time. ...
where his newly created installation of 44 Obamas, commemorating the 44th President of The United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, was debuted.
Personal life
Max owns a collection of 36 Chevrolet CorvetteChevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors that has been produced in six generations. The first model, a convertible, was designed by Harley Earl and introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept show car. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after...
s, dating from 1953 to 1988, one for each year. The collection has been horribly neglected.
Peter Max is an environmentalist
Environmentalist
An environmentalist broadly supports the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities"...
and defender of human and animal rights.
Peter Max was in the news in 2002 when he offered to provide a life of green fields for Cinci Freedom
Cinci Freedom
Cincinnati Freedom , also known as Charlene Mooken, was a 1,050-pound Charolais cow who lived at Farm Sanctuary's New York Shelter in Watkins Glen, New York, and which was particularly popular with animal rights activists and animal lovers.Cinci's rise to stardom began on February 15, 2002, when...
, a cow that escaped from an Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
slaughterhouse. The cow leapt over a six-foot fence while the slaughterhouse workers were on break and eluded capture for eleven days. "This little girl's will—facing the end of her life, being so frightened, then taking the risk of all risks to live, to be free—touched me so deeply," Max was quoted as saying, "It was so inspiring. I knew I had to try to preserve that wonderful spirit." Max donated $20 worth of his art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
to benefit the local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a non-profit animal welfare organization originally founded in England in 1824 to pass laws protecting carriage horses from abuse. SPCA groups are now found in many nations, where they campaign for animal welfare, assist in cruelty to animals...
, to ensure her a long life of peace at Farm Sanctuary
Farm Sanctuary
Farm Sanctuary is an American animal protection organization, founded in 1986 as an advocate for farm animals. It promotes laws and policies that support animal welfare, animal protection and vegetarianism/veganism through rescue, education and advocacy...
in Watkins Glen, New York.
Peter Max currently lives in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
with his wife, Mary Max.
External links
- PeterMax.com - The Official Peter Max Web Site with listings of Galleries and Exhibitions.
- Facebook.com - The Official Facebook fan page.
- Twitter.com The Official Peter Max Twitter page.
- MySpace.com - The Official Peter Max MySpace page.
- Peter Max on Artcyclopedia