Bob Peak, The Movie Poster and Beyond

Yesterday I stopped by the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art at Pepperdine University in Malibu. This is good small museum on the grounds of the University that I have visited once before. The current exhibit has some of the works of Bob Peak (1927-1992) who was an American illustrator credited with creating the modern movie poster.  He grew up in Kansas and began creating illustrations while at Wichita State University.  He studied at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles and moved to New York where he began his career as a professional illustrator.  In 1961 he was hired to create promotional materials for West Side Story.  This led to Peak creating over 100 movie posters.

Here are photographs of some of what I saw:

"Marlon Brando in The Missouri Breaks," 1976

"The Missouri Breaks," 1976 with Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson,  Mixed Media/Fiberglass Canvas

"Jimmy Carter," 1976 for Time Magazine, mixed media

"John F. Kennedy," 1976, mixed media for Time Magazine feature on the centennial year 

"Apocalypse Now," 1979 for Zoetrope Productions

"My Fair Lady," 1964, watercolor and charcoal, for Warner Brothers Pictures

"Football Pregame," 1963, Acrylic and Marker on Gesso Panel, for Sports Illustrated

"Thoroughly Modern Millie," 1967, mixed media for Universal Pictures

"Funny Girl," 1968, mixed media
In this composition, Peak adopted the palette and abstract forms of '60's Pop Art 

"Cosmopolitan," 1965, Collage/Mixed Media showing influence of the works of Gustav Klimt, Austrian Expressionist painter.

"Ladies' Home Journal," 1964

"Boy's Life," 1964, mixed media.  The artist posed his son as the driver of the old pick-up truck about to tow a more modern sports car.