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One sheet the iconic promotional poster for the 1969 Woodstock Music & Art Fair, designed by American graphic artist Arnold Skolnick.Design Details The Artwork: Skolnick used a razor blade to cut out the distinct shapes from paper, taking inspiration from the paper cutouts of Henri Matisse.The Bird: While commonly called the "Woodstock Dove," the white silhouette was actually modeled after a fat catbird that Skolnick was sketching at the time on Shelter Island, New York.The Instrument: The bird sits on the neck of a green guitar. Initially, Skolnick planned to use a flute, but switched it because a flute felt more closely associated with jazz than the rock festival's theme.The Slogan: It features the legendary tagline "3 Days of Peace & Music" alongside its alternative billing as "An Aquarian Exposition". The Printer's Error: Skolnick forgot to indicate to the printer that the bird's beak should be colored black, resulting in the accidental red beak visible on the final prints.Festival Location Context The poster notes White Lake, N.Y. The 3-day festival ultimately took place nearby on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, from August 15 to 18, 1969, drawing an overwhelming crowd of over 400,000 attendees. |
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