Growing up in Detroit, it’s no surprise that Stanley Mouse had a thing for cars. As a teenager, he made a name for himself on the state fair circuit painting hot rods on t-shirts. His unique style and imaginative designs fueled a lucrative family business, but Mouse was eager to expand his horizons.
He headed for San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury, arriving in late 1965, the eve of the summer of love. It was a time of untamed passion, peace and love amidst war. Somewhere between these extremities, a new, groundbreaking style of art was born – and Mouse was at the epicenter.
Mouse immersed himself in the free-flowing culture and music of the times. He visualized psychedelic images and transcended them into art. Together with fellow artist and longtime collaborator, Alton Kelley, he was commissioned to create many of the now classic posters for rock shows at the Avalon and Fillmore.
He dreamed up and designed iconic imagery for the Grateful Dead, Big Brother & the Holding Co., Steve Miller Band, Jefferson Airplane, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Jimi Hendrix, Journey among many others, expressing in each of his paintings the hope and magic of the Sixties. His art was an attribution to the period, a symbol of the absorbing and exciting subculture that was forming.
“ If I were to pick half a dozen of the definitive 1960’s people, Stanley Mouse would be one of them” – Bill Graham
During a prolific career that has spanned over forty years, Mouse has created a visual arsenal of popular images, still important to both those who remember the originals and a younger generation of fans. His legacy continues to grow.
Today, Mouse’s art has been exhibited in the following prestigious museums:
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
The Denver Art Museum
The Tokyo Museum of Modern Art
The Detroit Institute of Art
The Boston Museum
The Smithsonian Institute
The New York Museum of Modern Art
Moore Galleries, San Francisco
The Oakland Museum
The Hermitage, St. Petersburg
Victoria & Albert Museum, London
Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland