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Bonnie MacLean was a devoted employee of the Fillmore West concert venue in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco. She was integral to the day-to-day operations, including collecting tickets, passing out handbills, and counting money. Additionally, she drew on the chalkboards inside the Fillmore that presented that evening’s band lineup. MacLean developed the psychedelic style right alongside Wes Wilson, who designed the posters; however, because her work was ephemeral–being erased at the end of each gig–she wasn’t as widely acknowledged for her contributions to this artistic movement. Her work became more recognized when Wes Wilson parted ways with Fillmore West, and MacLean was offered the opportunity to create the posters. What sets MacLean’s style apart from the other artists is her emphasis on human faces and intricately detailed patterns.Label Type
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When MacLean began designing the posters, she developed a distinctive style, which frequently employed the motif of human faces. She said later of her work, “What I was most interested in was the human face. I think I captured certain emotions that related to the era in those expressions.” This handbill, meant to represent the group Martha and the Vandellas, is a prime example of MacLean’s talent for rendering faces.