Quicksilver Messenger Service Handbill
Image may not exactly match item shipped.
The grotesque nature of BG144 played in sharp contrast to the more orderly offerings of other poster artists and may have been a critical comment from the artist. Recalling renaissance paintings of faces fashioned from vegetables and animals, and foreshadowing modern montages composed of odd photographed bits and pieces that form a face, the only bit of wry humor in BG144 came from the smiling skull.
The handbill measures 4 11/16" x 7" and displays a calendar of upcoming Bill Graham events on the reverse. It was printed before the concert.
There were also some pre-concert mailers printed that were conjoined with the BG145 image. They measure 7" x 9 1/4".
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.