Fantasy Unlimited was a
multimedia artists
collective
A collective is a group of entities that share or are motivated by at least one common issue or interest, or work together to achieve a common objective. Collectives can differ from cooperatives in that they are not necessarily focused upon an ...
in New York.
History
The collective was founded by Peter Nevard in 1967. One of the co-founders was
David Edward Byrd, whom Peter knew from art school.
The collective lived and worked on a farm on the bank of the
Neversink River in
Port Jervis, NY.
Peter Nevard was the leader and had most of the equipment and financial know-how.
The collective consisted of seven artists and did about one major commercial light show a month. These were, at that time, called Press Shows - a new product was presented with strobe lights, liquid projections, slide projections, film, smoke, bubbles, and modern dancers in flesh body suits. David Edward Byrd created projections, art slides, and glass paintings and ran special effects during the various shows.
Notable work:
*
Clairol, "The Innocence of Blonde" with
Cheryl Tiegs (for Clairol's Innocent Blond range of products)
*
Yardley cosmetics, "The Yardley London Look" with
Jean Shrimpton
*
Bill Blass, "The Bill Blass Collection"
but also work for:
*
Bloomingdale's
*Boussac of France (fabrics, now part of Pierre Frey)
*
Dayton’s of Minneapolis
*
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren, ( ; ; born October 14, 1939) is an American fashion designer, philanthropist, and billionaire businessman, best known for the Ralph Lauren Corporation, a global multibillion-dollar enterprise. He has become well known for his co ...
*
Oscar de la Renta
*
Tenneco Chemicals
among others.
In early 1968, work was started for
Bill Graham for venues of major stars in the new
Fillmore East Ballroom in
Manhattan’s East Village.
Fantasy Unlimited created posters and other art work for, among others,
The Jimi Hendrix Experience,
Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, that became one of the pioneering bands of psychedelic rock. Formed in 1965, the group defined the San Francisco Sound and was the first from the Bay Area to ac ...
and
Traffic.
Although the collective only existed for a few years, and may not have been a force culturally, it made some notable contributions (especially the work of David Edward Byrd).
Trivia
Clairol's catchphrase: "Does She... Or Doesn't She?" was coined by
Shirley Polykoff
Gallery
Posters created by Fantasy Unlimited (by
Byrd Byrd commonly refers to:
* William Byrd (c. 1540 – 1623), an English composer of the Renaissance
* Richard E. Byrd (1888–1957), an American naval officer and explorer
Byrd or Byrds may also refer to:
Other people
* Byrd (surname), includin ...
) for Bill Graham. The poster for the
Jimi Hendrix Experience was voted #8 in the Top 25 Rock Posters by
Billboard Magazine.
The list of Top 25 Rock Posters by Billboard Magazine
/ref>
Image:FU-JimiHendrixExperience-H600.JPG,
Further reading
Grushkin, Paul D.; ''The Art of Rock: Posters from Presley to Punk''; Abbeville Press; First Edition 1987; 516 pp;
O'Hagan, Helen, Kathleen Rowold; ''Bill Blass: An American Designer''; Harry N. Abrams Inc. ; 272pp;
Shrimpton, Jean; ''Jean Shrimpton: An Autobiography''; Time Warner Paperbacks; 1991; 254 pp; {{ISBN, 0-7474-0962-5
References
American artist groups and collectives
Arts organizations based in New York (state)
Arts organizations established in 1967
1967 establishments in New York (state)