Customer Reviews

The Art of Peter Max

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First off I want to correct the often repeated false statement in a previous review: Heinz Edelman was the artist behind The Beatles Yellow Submarine, Peter Max had absolutely nothing to do with it, and was in no way the inspiration behind it. Edelman was already doing Yellow Sub style art before Max's style became famous. For the complete background read "Inside the Yellow Submarine".

That said, this is a wonderful, long over due collection of the art of Peter Max. I don't think this book could have been printed any better, it is stunning. For me, the only thing that could make it better would be to add even more pages of art. The classic 60s-70s period gets the short end of the stick being overshadowed by the newer works. It is all beautiful work either way, but my preference would have been for more of the older pieces.

People will be magnetically drawn to this sitting on your coffee table. This is also a great companion to "The Art of Rock" the 2-ton book of classic old Fillmore concert posters that was out about 15 years ago. They don't make art like this anymore...unfortunately.

Everyone knows the genius of Peter Max and the fun of his art. I won't presume to review either. Instead, let's talk about the book! Beautiful printing on quality paper. The included commentary and history put a perspective to each piece of art that most readers wouldn't have otherwise. Peter Max inspired my wife to become an artist. She'll cherish this book for years to come. If you are a Max fan, so will you. As all coffee table books are, a bit pricey but an excellent work to enjoy again and again!

This edition I had was printed in Japan, notwithstanding the quality of the prints, pages and the cover were stunning!

Unfortunately I was hoping for more of Peter Max's psychedelic artwork & merchandise which he was most remembered for, as the book featured most his more recent paintings and his penchant for the Statue of Liberty & American icons. In fact I bought the book as a reference for 60s color scheme & rock posters but retro artwork added up to abt 30 odd pages out of the 240...

I'm thinking contemporary fine-art artists/lovers might take to this book with more enthusiasm than illustrators or graphic designers, despite this, the book still manages to inspire me with Max's whimsical use of paint colors and his contribution to society.

Peter Max's influence was strongest in the 1960's when his style influenced everything from the Pop generation look to the Beatles film, "The Yellow Submarine." I became most of aware of Max's work as a resident of New York City after 9/11, when streetpost banners with his art tout the city's great landmarks, such as Lincoln Center and the Empire State Building.

This book is the first published collection I've seen, save for a couple of European books and one he did in 1976, that shows the breadth of his work. The son of immigrant parents, Max's later work seems to be most strongly associated with his renditions of American icons, such as the Statue of Liberty and the American flag. Some of his work, such as his Amazon-influenced "Better World" series, is stunning. Other work, such as Umbrella Man and Zero don't appeal to me quite as much. Back in the 60's, I think he was known mostly for his bold colors and psychadelic images. But environmentalism plays a bigger role in his late 80s and 90s work. His posters for the Rainforest Foundation and 1992 Earth Summit are stunning examples of this.

There's never been anyone quite like Peter Max, for better or for worse. I'd highly recommend this book to even casual fans as the reproductions are beautifully done and the vibrant colors leap off the page. Patrick O'Connell, NYC

This isn't a book that you'd just pick up and read by any means. It does have some nice biographical information on Max, but it's so generic and propaganda is it's disgusting.
If you're a Peter Max fan and collect his art this book is a must have for you coffee table/book shelf. Has a great selection of his work reproduced nicely for viewing.
If you're looking for information about Max, who actually seems to be one of the harder living artists to find FACTUAL information about , this is not the book you're looking for.

Peter Max is an iconic figure in the world of Pop Art creating portraits and parodies of everything from the Statue of Liberty to the Mona Lisa on everything from large canvases to the sides of airplanes. Max's art is made of bright vibrant swirling colors that make one feel...happy to be alive. This big coffee table book has accompanying essays that discuss Max's life and work and place him in the context of history, but it's an easy to read essay and fun to read. But the big selling point of this book is the fantastic illustrations found throughout the book, from the splash pages to the very end. Every photograph captures the intensity and vibrancy of Max's work and make it easy to see why he's so well known.

I bought this book for my husband who loves Peter Max. I found the best price here on Amazon and my husband was thrilled when he open it on Christmas morning. A wonderful buy!

I originally bought this book because I was going to have the opportunity to met the great Peter Max and wanted to have him autograph it. After reviewing the book after I recieved it, I thought the book was really nice with beautiful pictures of Peter Max's art. This past week I did met and have Peter Max autograph this beautiful book!

This is wonderful book and for me it was a great companion piece after seeing Peter Max's America at the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock. I was disappointed a book or poster wasn't available at the exhibit. However, this more than makes up for it. Many of the pieces I saw in the exhibit are included the book. It's hard cover and the dust jacket has some great metallic inks with embossing.

It is displayed prominently on my coffee table for perusal. I thoroughly recommend this book for anyone who appreciates books that are aesthetically pleasing besides being informative.

For pop culture collectors - or those old enough - the art of Peter Max may have been initially seen through his picturesque work on school supplies, like pencil boxes and book covers. Max essentially penned the pages of Pop Art as the people's artist by making access a vital concept.

The beautiful layout of this intriguing volume is a retrospective on Max's life, though with an emphasis on his more recent - Americana - explorations. There is a special happiness and eternal optimism in Max's artistic endeavors, which makes this collection especially brilliant.