Grateful Dead Poster
Image may not exactly match item shipped.
This Grateful Dead billing featured the band's signature skull mascot, but not in a playful way. Conklin took the reader on a trip to Hell, and the spooky images broke down in decay near the bottom of the poster.
The 1st printing poster is on glossy stock and does not display a "W" after the ticket outlets strip like the reprint. It measures 14" x 21" and was printed before the concert.
The 2nd printing is also on slick glossy stock. This reprint has a pink "W" etched into the poster at the end of the ticket outlets strip after the word "Music". It measures 14 1/8" x 21" and was printed after the concert.
The 3rd printing is on uncoated matte stock and has "W 2021" in the lower right hand margin. It was printed in 2021 by Wolfgang's in a 250 copy run. This reprint measures 14" x 21".
Lee Conklin's early influences were pen and ink masters Heinrich Kley and Saul Steinberg.After seeing articles featuring Wes Wilson's poster art, Conklin was inspired to visit San Francisco and show his art to Bill Graham. Conklin was soon commissioned to do posters and produced 31 original designs for the Fillmore between 1968 and 1969. Conklin rendered both graphics and calligraphy in intricate detail. What began as a personal challenge to disguise images within images and lettering soon turned into a concerted effort to turn every single letter and figure into another form, stretching the imagination to new limits.