[.ca] The Art of Peter Max (ISBN 0810932709)

Finally! A Collection of Classic Max Paintings & Drawings:
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

Beautiful job reproducing beautiful art:
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.

Peter Max:
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!

Peter Max in Boston!:
The book was awesome, I loved looking at all the images. It brought back memories of a Peter Max beach towel I had over many summers. I hear that Peter Max is in Boston this week, at "Wentworth Gallery" on Newbury St. I think it was thursday night. It would be so great to meet him and see his original artwork.

Colour me satisfied:
I first became aware of Peter Max's art when I was on a Royal Caribbean cruise last year, where they auctioned several of his works. I immediately fell in love with his colourful style - mixing different colours in a single brush stroke. I bought this book yesterday (elsewhere) and can't praise it enough!