One could not say that conventional beauty was artist Lee Conklin's goal. In BG145, the psychedelic experience was evident in Ten Years After and Country Weather tangled in the branches of the island tree, but this was no classic tree-of-life image. The Fillmore West dangled from the branches on spider web threads.
The poster was only printed once before the concert. It measures 14" x 21 7/8".
The 2nd printing is on uncoated matte stock and has "W 2021" in the lower right hand margin. It was printed in 2021 by the Wolfgang's in a 100 copy run. This reprint measures 14" x 21".
The 3rd printing is on 80# coated matte stock and has "W 2023" in the lower right hand margin. It was printed in 2023 by Wolfgang's in a 300 copy run. This reprint measures 14" x 21".
Lee Conklin's early influences were pen and ink masters Heinrich Kley and Saul Steinberg.After seeing articles featuring Wes Wilson's poster art, Conklin was inspired to visit San Francisco and show his art to Bill Graham. Conklin was soon commissioned to do posters and produced 31 original designs for the Fillmore between 1968 and 1969. Conklin rendered both graphics and calligraphy in intricate detail. What began as a personal challenge to disguise images within images and lettering soon turned into a concerted effort to turn every single letter and figure into another form, stretching the imagination to new limits.