Psychedelic pop artist Peter Max whose work epitomised 60s ‘flower power’ movement dies aged 88 after dementia battle

PSYCHEDELIC pop art icon Peter Max, whose work epitomised the 1960s “summer of love” movement, has died aged 88. Close friend Michael Pagnotta, who has worked for Peter since the 80s, said he died in a Manhattan hospital after a long battle with dementia. Iconic psychedelic pop artist Peter Max has died aged 88 Credit: Getty Peter posing near pictures of Diana, Princess of Wales, in his New York studio Credit: Reuters He said that Peter is survived by his children, Adam and Max, who “loved him very much”. Peter’s trippy posters of flowers, butterflies, rainbows and planets sold millions, making him one of the most successful artists of his time. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! The counterculture icon was famed for his brightly-coloured portraits of everyone from Bob Dylan and Princess Diana to Barack Obama and Taylor Swift. Pagnotta said: “He had a very expansive mind. As much as the Beatles provided a soundtrack for the era and generation, Peter visualised it and just exploded onto the scene in the late 1960s. “Whatever kind of post-war optimism existed in the country, even though it was very turbulent times, Peter was able to capture that and marry it to that spiritual eastern magical mystery thing, and it worked perfectly. “And he believed in the mass appeal of what he was doing. He believed in making art accessible to people.” His son Adam wrote: “We will remember his extraordinary creativity, his warmth, his curiosity, and the way he saw beauty and possibility everywhere. “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.” Most read in The Sun Peter working on a painting of the Statue of Liberty aboard a boat in New York Harbour, 1987 Credit: AP He was known for painting bold, vibrant colours, and cosmic landscapes Credit: AFP The German-American artist began his career as a graphic designer, who captured the essence of the 1960s “summer of love”. Peter, who has been a teetotaler since 1966, said he used yoga to expand his mind and inspire his psychedelic art. He once said: “I see everything through rainbow eyes.” A prolific worker, Peter served as the official artist of the Olympics, the Super Bowl, the Indianapolis 500, the World Cup, the World Series, and many other events. He also created the logo for MTV in the 1980s, as well as marketable work that was licensed for many consumer products, from shower curtains to planes and cruise ships, and even a line of art clocks. Born Peter Max Finkelstein in Berlin in 1937, his family left Germany during the rise of the Nazis, traveling through Asia, the Middle East and Paris, before settling in New York when he was 16. He studied art at the city’s prestigious School for Visual Arts and the Pratt Institute, and then opened his own design studio. Peter’s unique style became a hit and spawned a booming commercial business. Peter unveiling his Paul McCartney Portrait Series in 2012 Credit: Getty Staging artwork by artist Peter Max is shown on display at Woodstock 99 in Rome, New York on July 23, 1999. (Photo by Getty Images/John Atashian) Credit: Getty He reflected: “My work was really, I would say, almost exploited. It was on mugs, it was on bedsheets, it was on dresses, it was on silks and scarves and ties – 70 product lines.” And that success brought its challenges later in his career. In 1998, he was sentenced to community service teaching art in Harlem and a $30,000 (£22k) fine after prosecutors charged him with concealing $714,000 (£532k) in income from art sales between 1988 and 1991. In his plea, Peter acknowledged bartering art for real estate and hiding income to buy real estate in Southampton, the US Virgin Islands, the city and upstate New York. In the last decade, disputes over his treatment and ownership of his art landed in court. The artist’s family and friends traded “lurid allegations of kidnapping, hired goons, attempted murder” and moneymaking schemes, the New York Times reported. One major source of income and lawsuits has reportedly been in champagne-fuelled art auctions on board major cruise lines. But those sales drew lawsuits from buyers who said the art they received didn’t meet their expectations. Max told the outlet in 2019 that he was “wowed by the universe.” He said: “I love colour. I love painting. I love shapes. I love composition. I love the people all around me. I’m adoring it all. “My legacy is in the hands of other people.” Comment now