The exhibition of literature and culture, brings together Illustration, Photography, Humanities and Visual Communication showcasing ground-breaking 60s visual design.
In the first of a series of planned exhibitions, curators Tom Hicks, Librarian for Faculty of Arts, and Jane Webb, Head of Department (Visual Communication) have assembled a collection of objects, posters, album covers, books and magazines celebrating the year 1967, the Summer of Love which represented a revolutionary moment in popular culture that saw an explosion of wildly experimental thought in literature, music and design.
Pieces on display include Beatles memorabilia, art designed by Martin Sharp, a significant 60s artist who created iconic album covers and posters featuring musicians such as Jimi Hendrix as well as clothes, toys and ceramics from the era.
The ‘Cabinet of Psychedelic Curiosities’ will be on display from Wednesday 6th December until Friday 12th January 2018 on the third floor of the George Wallis Building, Wolverhampton School of Art.
Including loans from the University Library, the exhibition includes OZ magazine, the seminal underground magazine that provided a showcase for eye-popping psychedelic graphics and illustration, as well as showcasing key works by artist such as Martin Sharp.
Tom Hicks, curator of the exhibition, said: “The exhibition is split into three distinct areas focusing on art and literature that inspired the psychedelia movement, then exploring the sub-culture as it developed through to how it transcended into mainstream culture.
Most of the material was donated by Faculty of Arts lecturers at the University and we have also used valuable collections from the library to creating an exhibition which will give visitors an insight into how this significant movement evolved into one of the most revolutionary periods of the twentieth century.
Psychedelia was a relatively short-lived phenomenon but its influence permeated the worlds of animation, advertising, fashion and popular culture. Whilst the 60s witnessed many design sub-cultures, psychedelia has had a lasting influence that and is now commonly used as visual shorthand to represent the entire decade.”
Gerry Carlin, Senior Lecturer in English at the University who has donated his personal collection to the exhibition, said: “We teach a 1960s module on our Popular Culture course which focuses on psychedelia and the hippy underground movement.
“This was an extremely significant time for youth culture, in particular, as it was the first time young people were able to express themselves freely across a broad spectrum of areas including music, art and literature. The resulting psychedelia movement represented a powerful awareness of consciousness based on regained innocence and freedom.”
The exhibition is open to the general public with free entry. Please email Tom Hicks to register your interest: T.J.Hicks@wlv.ac.uk
