Peter Max, the pop artist whose swirling, neon-colored designs became visual shorthand for the 1960s “flower power” movement, has died at 88. His son Adam Max announced the death in a written statement Wednesday, saying his father died on Monday. No cause was given, though Max had been suffering from advanced dementia.
Max’s career began in graphic design in the 1960s, and his instantly recognizable style — cosmic swirls, cartoonish figures and vivid colors like turquoise, orange and neon green — came to define the era’s visual culture. His work stayed in demand for decades afterward, thanks to a prolific output and an accessible, cheerful aesthetic.
He served as the official artist for the Olympics, the Super Bowl, the Indianapolis 500, the World Cup and the World Series, among other major events. His art appeared on a Boeing 777 and a Norwegian Cruise Line ship, and he painted portraits ranging from U.S. presidents to Taylor Swift.
During his first wave of fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s, his posters covered dorm room walls and his designs appeared on clocks, bedspreads and even the covers of the Manhattan Yellow Pages. In 1969, Max himself appeared on the cover of Life magazine, his bushy mustache framing a wide grin.
“We will remember his extraordinary creativity, his warmth, his curiosity, and the way he saw beauty and possibility everywhere,” Adam Max said in the statement. “His art became part of American culture, but the man behind that art — the father we knew and loved — is the person we will miss most.”
From Berlin to New York
Max was born Peter Max Finkelstein in 1937 to a Jewish family in Berlin. His family fled Nazi Germany for Shanghai when he was an infant, later living in Tibet, Israel and Paris before settling in New York City when Max was 16. He said in an interview that by then he was already “a huge fan of American culture” — comics, movies and jazz music.
He studied at the Art Students League, the School of Visual Arts and Pratt Institute in New York, and in 1961 opened a graphic design studio with friends. His style caught on quickly with ad agencies, publications and the corporate world.
The commercial success eventually became overwhelming. “My work was really, I would say, almost exploited,” Max said. “It was on mugs, it was on bedsheets, it was on dresses, it was on silks and scarves and ties — 70 product lines.” Frustrated that he “wasn’t painting anymore,” he shut down the business in the early 1970s to refocus on his art. One of his major projects afterward was a series of Statue of Liberty portraits painted at the White House in 1981 at the invitation of first lady Nancy Reagan.
Legal and family troubles
Max pleaded guilty to tax fraud in 1997 after the IRS alleged he had concealed more than $1 million in income. He was initially sentenced to two months in prison but was ultimately allowed to serve his time through a work-release program, pay back taxes and a $30,000 fine, and complete 800 hours of community service teaching art in Harlem schools.
In 2015, a bitter family dispute became public between his second wife, Mary Max, and his son Adam. Adam and a court-appointed guardian alleged Mary Max had depleted his finances and mistreated him; she claimed the family had isolated him against his will and taken paintings that belonged to her. Court appearances during that time described Max as frail. In 2019, Mary Max died by suicide two weeks after The New York Times published an article detailing legal battles over his artwork.
Despite the turmoil in his personal life, Max’s art remained determinedly upbeat. “The colors are strong, sometimes loud, sometimes raw and sometimes harmonious, but always powerful, and the images are always on the side of the peaceful nature,” he said. “I don’t discuss in my paintings negative things, I don’t dwell on it in my mind and don’t dwell on it in my canvasses.” He once described his outlook simply: “I see everything through rainbow eyes.”
Legacy
Although some accounts of his career suggest he was never fully embraced by the fine-art establishment, Max’s work appeared in dozens of museum exhibitions worldwide, and New York’s Museum of Modern Art owns seven of his pieces.
Max is sometimes credited, incorrectly, with the artwork for the Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine,” which is officially attributed to the late Heinz Edelmann. Max claimed in a 2012 interview that he created the original design before handing it off to Edelmann, though the Park West gallery, a longtime dealer of his work, describes his involvement as “early consulting work.” He was, however, personal friends with the Beatles and many other celebrities, and had a deep interest in Eastern spirituality — he brought the yoga teacher “Swami” Satchidananda Saraswati to the United States and helped popularize yoga in the country.
Max’s first marriage, to Elizabeth Nance, ended in divorce. In addition to his son Adam, he is survived by a daughter, Libra Astro.
