Incorporating Art Nouveau, Op Art, and psychedelic motifs, Max’s designs provided instant visual gratification and cheerful support for intergenerational politics of love, joy, and universal consciousness. His “panopticon” images repeated visual elements in dense shapes, creating a kaleidoscope effect reminiscent of an Easter mandala.
His “Space Jumper”, striding across the globe in bell-bottoms, became a symbol of today’s youth who want to explore inner space and the far reaches of space. Jumper is barefoot, surrounded by fluffy clouds and chubby birds. 10 cent stamp It was commissioned for Expo ’74, a conservation-themed World’s Fair held in Seattle.
In his memoir The Universe of Peter Max, published in 2013, he writes: “The subject matter of my space art has always been euphoric: Himalayan sages floating under a shower of flowers beside snow-capped mountain peaks; Faces and flowers exploding into symbolic cosmic butterflies, mirrored lakes and waters with waterfalls of stars and planets, flowers in an eternal state of organic growth and bloom.My inspiration came from America’s new youth movement, and I spoke to it in return.
Peter Max Finkelstein was born on October 19, 1937 in Berlin. Her father, Jacob, worked in the import and export business, and her mother, Sarah (Zeisel) Finkelstein, was a fashion designer before her marriage. With the rise of Nazism, the family moved to Shanghai, where Jacob began working as a pearl merchant. Peter attended an English school and spent much of his free time talking to monks at a nearby Buddhist monastery.
As the Maoist revolution gained momentum, the Finkelsteins moved again to Haifa, Israel, where Peter learned Hebrew, became obsessed with stars and planets, and took a special course in astronomy at the Technion.