Big Brother, Santana by Rick Griffin (BG-136-1)

Few images from the San Francisco ballroom era burn as brightly as Rick Griffin's heart and torch. A fist thrusts a flaming torch straight through a monumental red heart, crowned by Griffin's molten, dripping lettering that cascades down both margins like wax from a candle. The design announced a three-night run at Bill Graham's Fillmore West featuring Big Brother and the Holding Company, with Santana and Chicago Transit Authority in support.Printed by Tea Lautrec Litho as number 136 in the Bill Graham series, the poster shows Griffin at his most confident. He blends the precise stipple shading of his cartooning background with the hallucinatory letterforms that made him one of the Big Five of psychedelic poster art. The bill itself marked a turning point. Janis Joplin was nearing the end of her run with Big Brother, Santana was still a local sensation awaiting a record deal, and the band soon to be known as Chicago was making its West Coast introduction.A standout piece for collectors of rock history and American graphic design, this poster captures the spirit of the late 1960s in a single, unforgettable emblem.Size: 22" x 14"Artist: Rick GriffinCondition: Very Good, Age-appropriate wear, fading and toning. Please use the photo zoom feature to get a better understanding of overall condition. *Additional photos available upon request.