I found the discovery and prescription of now illegal psychedelic drugs to be fascinating. Upon their first encounter with LSD, it is not surprising that doctors and scientists wanted to further explore it's capabilities in aiding epidemics like depression, tendency to violence, and alcoholism. As there were no foreseeable damages to use of this drug at its discovery, it was heavily experimented with. The use of LSD was only received as a real treatment for about a ten year experimentation period before the public and most of the scientific field grew wary of its affects, although it continued to have a strong influence on 1960's counterculture.
Psychedelic drugs had a massive impact on the art of this time, as much of it was inspired or in the style of the hallucinogenic state these drugs created. People were consistently trying to mimic the effects of tripping out through paintings and drawings. You can see it in the curved lines and the warped proportions, people wanted to capture the feeling of their changed state of perception in a form that was tangible and lasting. In music, musicians talked about their dreams and hallucinations. Some of the most popular bands to write about their experiences were The Beatles and The Grateful Dead. To this day it has a lasting impact on culture, as these bands are still very popular with people of all ages and it is becoming well known that LSD was used in the production of much of their music catalogue and in the creation of a large proportion of art at the time.
Sources:
Danut, Incrosnatu. "LSD's Impact On Music History." Sociedelic - Psychedelic Society Community | Psychedelic Research News. 16 Mar 2017. Web. <http://www.sociedelic.com/lsds-impact-music-history/>.
"Victor Moscoso, the Grand Old Master of Psychedelic Art | DUKEPOPE." DUKEPOPE | Dukepope's blog about music, art, design and technology.. Web <http://dukepope.wordpress.com/2013/04/01/victor-moscoso-the-grand-old-master-of-psychedelic-rock-posters/>.
Gilmore, Mikal. "Beatles' 'Revolver': How LSD Opened the Door to a Masterpiece - Rolling Stone." Rolling Stone. 15 Aug 2016. Web. <http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/beatles-revolver-how-lsd-opened-the-door-to-a-masterpiece-w436062>.
"Greatful Dead at the Barrn." Concert Poster Gallery. Web. <http://concertpostergallery.com/concertposters/posters/grateful-dead-at-the-barn/>.
"Psychedelic 60s | Graphic Design History." Graphic Design History | Industrial to Digital Revolutions. Visual Art Department, Web. <http://visualartsdepartment.wordpress.com/psychedelic-60s/>.
Rothstein, Edward. "How LSD Altered Minds and a Culture Along With It - The New York Times." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. New York Times, 5 May 2008. Web. <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/05/arts/05conn.html>.
Thoricatha, Wesley. "The Colorful History of LSD: From Counterculture to Modern Psychotherapy - Psychedelic Times." Psychedelic Times | The Alternative Drug Therapy & Recovery Coaching Resource. 24 Aug 2015. Web. <http://psychedelictimes.com/lsd/the-colorful-history-of-lsd-from-counterculture-to-modern-psychotherapy/>.
Vevo. "The Beatles - Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (Take 1 / Audio) - YouTube." YouTube. Youtube, 18 May 2017. Web. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RoA0QTZ-bM>.
I really enjoy how you connected the use of psychedelic drugs to an innovative period for art. I had never considered this as the cause for artistic exploration but it makes a lot of sense as it really creates a whole new perspective for the artist by altering the way their mind is working.
ReplyDeleteGreat read! I really liked reading about your thoughts on how hallucinogens inspired new styles, colors, and proportions in art. With this information, it's interesting to think what future drugs we will see used commonly in the medical field before becoming illegal or frowned upon.
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