Alton Kelley

Infobox Artist
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name = Alton Kelley


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birthname = Alton Kelly
birthdate = Birth date|1940|6|17
location = Houlton, Maine‎
deathdate = Death date and age|2008|6|1|1940|6|17
deathplace = Petaluma, California
nationality = American
field = concert posters, logos, album covers, fine art
training =
movement = Psychedelic art
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Alton Kelley (June 17 1940 in Houlton, Maine‎ — June 1 2008 in Petaluma, California) was an American artist best known for his psychedelic art, in particular his designs for 1960s rock concerts and albums. Along with artists Rick Griffin, Stanley Mouse, Victor Moscoso and Wes Wilson, Kelley founded the Berkeley Bonaparte distribution agency in order to produce and sell psychedelic poster art.

Along with fellow artist Stanley Mouse, Kelley is credited with creating Wings' and The Beatles' on all Journey album covers as well as the skull and roses image for the Grateful Dead. Kelley's artwork on the 1971 self-titled live album, "Grateful Dead", incorporated a black and white illustration of a skeleton by Edmund Sullivan, which originally appeared in a 19th century edition of the "Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám".

In 1995, Kelley designed and printed a limited edition poster of Jack Kerouac to raise money for the Jan Kerouac Benefit Fund.

He was brought up in Connecticut and worked as a welder there.http://www.courant.com/news/nationworld/hc-kelley0605.artjun05,0,7457600.story He died on June 1, 2008, at the age of 67, after a long illness. [cite web |url=http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=19029 |title='60s Psychedelia Artist Alton Kelley Passes Away |publisher=allaboutjazz.com |date=2008-06-02 |accessdate=2008-06-03] [cite web |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/02/BAQS111UJ4.DTL |title=Alton Kelley, psychedelic poster creator, dies |author=Joel Selvin |publisher=San Francisco Chronicle |date=Tuesday, June 3, 2008 |accessdate=2008-06-03] [cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/02/AR2008060202725.html |title=Alton Kelley, 68; Graphic Artist With a Flair for the Psychedelic |author=Patricia Sullivan |publisher=Washington Post |date=Tuesday, June 3, 2008 |page=Page B06 |accessdate=2008-06-03]

ee also

* Robert Crumb
* Victor Moscoso
* Stanley Mouse
* S. Clay Wilson
* Wes Wilson

References

External links

* [http://www.shanatinglipton.com/highartcover.html LA Alternative cover story by Shana Ting Lipton]

Persondata
NAME= Kelley, Alton
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= artist
DATE OF BIRTH= June 17, 1940
PLACE OF BIRTH= Houlton, Maine‎
DATE OF DEATH= June 1, 2008
PLACE OF DEATH= Petaluma, California