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August 18, 1991 – Graphic artist Rick Griffin died at age 47

AUGUST 18, 1991 – Graphic artist RICKGRIFFIN (b. June 18, 1944 in Palos Verdes, California) one of the leading designers of psychedelic posters in the 1960s, died at age 47 after being forced off the road by a van he was attempting to pass on his Harley Heritage Softail motorcycle on August 15th in Petaluma, California. He was thrown from his bike when he collided with the van that suddenly turned left as he attempted to pass it.

He was not wearing a helmet and sustained major head injuries. He died three days later in nearby Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.Griffin was born near Palos Verdes among the surfing culture of southern California. Griffin biographer Tim Stephenson notes: “His father was an engineer and amateur archaeologist and as a boy Rick accompanied him on digs in the Southwest. It was during this time that Rick was exposed to the Native American and ghost town artifacts that were to influence his later work. Rick was taught to surf by Randy Nauert at the age of 14 at Torrance Beach. The pair had met at Alexander Flemming Jr. High, and were to become lifelong friends, Rick producing much of the artwork for Randy’s future band, the Challengers.”While attending Nathaniel Narbonne High School in the Harbor City area of Los Angeles, he produced numerous surfer drawings, which led to his surfing comic strip, “Murphy” for Surfer magazine in 1961, with Griffin’s character featured on the front cover the following year. In 1964, he left Surfer and briefly attended Chouinard Art Institute (now CalArts), where he met his future wife, artist Ida Pfefferle.

August 18, 1991 - Graphic artist Rick  Griffin died at age 47

That same year, he hung out with the group of artists and musicians known as the Jook Savages.He traveled with Ida on a Mexican surfing trip and later planned a move to San Francisco after seeing the psychedelic rock posters designed by Stanley Mouse and Alton Kelley. In late 1966, the couple arrived in San Francisco, where they first lived in their van before moving to Elsie Street in the Bernal Heights district. In the mid-1960s, he participated in author Ken Kesey’s Acid Tests. His first art exhibition was for the Jook Savages, celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Psychedelic Shop on Haight Street. Organizers for the Human Be-In saw his work and asked him to design a poster for their January 1967 event. Chet Helms was also impressed by Griffin’s work and asked him to design posters for the Family Dog dance concerts at the Avalon Ballroom, which led Griffin to create concert posters for the Charlatans. In 1967, Griffin, Kelley, Mouse, Victor Moscoso and Wes Wilson teamed as the founders of Berkeley Bonaparte, a company that created and marketed psychedelic posters.

August 18, 1991 - Graphic artist Rick  Griffin died at age 47

Griffin returned to Southern California in 1969, eventually settling in San Clemente.Griffin became a born again Christian in November 1970, which led to fundamental changes in his lifestyle and in the style and content of his art. His 1973 painting “Sail on Sailor” for the band Mustard Seed Faith is an example of his fine art painting from this period.Building on a love for Christian imagery, Rick continued to create more spiritual artwork. He also returned to surfing after spending a long stretch away from the waves and created additional artwork for other surf films, including “Five Summer Stories” (1972) and “Blazing Boards” (1983).

August 18, 1991 - Graphic artist Rick  Griffin died at age 47

His most significant 1970s project was the creation of hundreds of paintings and drawings for “The Gospel of John”, published by the Christian record label Maranatha! a label for whom he also produced much album art during the 1970s and 1980s, but some of his best known album covers was for the Grateful Dead’s “Aoxomoa” LP, and the legendary “Flying Eyeball” poster he designed for a series of concerts in San Francisco featuring the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Albert King and John Mayall.

SOURCES


http://www.myraltis.co.uk/rickgriffin/

http://artopea.com/griffinbio.html

http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/rick-griffin/poster-art.html

http://www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-artist/rick-griffin.php

http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/art-gallery/rick-griffin/

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