Hippies?...or...Visionaries?

So looking back at the 60's we can see that it's not just one big drug fest.The 60's were a time of change, a time to show who you were and to be proud of it. Hippies or Visionaries, huh, well when you put it that way then the 60's were both. If they were not Visionaries then they could not be Hippies, because without one the other could not be. So now I ask you this, were the 60's a time of a bunch of Hippies or were they really Visionaries? This is up to you to decide...What do You Think?

Sources....Man!

http://kclibrary.lonestar.edu/decade60.html
http://artsconnected.org/collection/118487/art-in-the-1960s#(1)
http://www.paperpast.com/html/1960_fashion.html

Art...Totally Psychedelic!

The art of the 1960’s was other way to show others that this was who they were. Art  in the 60’s was very much like the fifties in that both eras were influenced by the desire to move forwarded in both the modern age and the space age. There were many different types of art during this era, such as mobiles and sculptures from Alexander Calder or non-representational art from Helen Frankenthaler, these showed a desire to escape from details to interpret.  Many artists from this era wanted to inspire people to jump into the unknown and experience the art in their own way, art was not a set view but a thing that was open for interpretation. Among these new artists appeared Andy Warhol who brought Pop Art to the era. Pop Art was a form of art that brought color and excitement to the era. Many other  types of art came to be as well, such as assemblage art, environmental art and kinetic abstraction. Also durging the drug age, drug induced art was called Psychedelic Art, this art usually consisted of bright colors, movement and it looked very much like a kaleidoscope. Psychedelic art was usually used for concert posters during this time. 1960’s art was full of color and movement, it showed the desire to move forwarded.

Fashion...What was "Groovy"!

Fashion in the 60’s was not just bellbottoms and fringe jackets; it was a way for youth to express themselves in the world. In the begging of the 60’s men mostly had crew cuts, because of the war, and women had bouffant hairstyles. During the early years of the 1960’s the fashion choice was more conservative then what we “know” about the 60’s. Men usually wore plaid buttoned down shirts and women were required to wear knee-length dresses when they were out in public. However, by the mid-1960’s more revealing cloths stared to emerge, such as miniskirts or hot pants usually worn with go-go boots for the women and men’s wear had its own renaissance. For men, who used to wear plaid and buttons, came bright colors, polyester pants, double-breasted sports jackets and turtlenecks. For men and women not only did their cloths change but so did their hair styles, women wore it either long and lanky or very short and men had it longer and wider and usually with long, scruffy beards and or moustaches. By the end of the decade ties were 5” wide and where patterned and worn with stripes at times. Women continued to change, from miniskirts to peasant skirts or granny dresses and from go-go boots to chunky shoes. Many African Americans also had their own style, instead of long hair, both men  and women wore their hair in an afro, which was a large poof of hair at the top of their heads. In this era the clothing that was most popular was the unisex clothing, these usually were bell bottoms, embellished t-shirts and love beads. During this era cloths were likely to be purchased at surplus stores as though they were boutiques. This era stared the “dress as you are” feel of many other eras that were to come.

Music....The Sound of Their Generation!

The 60’s are well known for their music, the new bands that popped up everywhere, the sound of the generation. They did not just have the exciting music from the Beatles but other bands emerged as well. Many girl bands emerged, such as, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Martha and the Vandellas, The Supremes, and Aretha Franklin. With the girls others also emerged, such as the revival of folk music thanks to Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul & Merry, and Joan Baez. There was also had the Beach Boys who had songs that spoke to high schoolers. This era was full of music that made a difference and spoke to everyone but in different ways. When the drug era came in the mid-1960’s prescriptions weren’t the only things to change. This drug era lead to new types of music such as Acid Rock, which was music that was highly amplified and improvisational, and Psychedelic Rock which was a more mellow type of rock. This drug era music changed some of the biggest bands of the time, such as the Beatles but when the Beatles changed their fan base changed as well. However with this new music came new bands, in 1967 Jefferson Airplane and Grateful Dead came to be. Their new way of music changed what was music. During this time a three day music festival came to be. This phenomena was Woodstock, it drew 400,000 hippies and featured peace, love, and happiness...and LSD. Woodstock showed the world what the hippies were about. Woodstock and the modular synthesizer also opened the world to the music of the era and showed that it was for everyone.

Literature...What’s Hot on the Shelves!

The 1960's are known for their music but what about their books. The 1960's where a great time for literature, new books about life and books about fictional creatures. During the 1960’s there were many books that reflected the goings on of the era. Such as To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, this story spoke about racisms in a small southern town. There was also the book The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, about a teenage girl trying to fit into a harsh society. Many of these books spoke to the women of the 60’s, like The Group, and The Feminine Mystique. However there where many that also spoke about disillusionment of society, like Catch-22 and One Few Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. These books showed what was happening in the 60’s, showed that it was not one big party but a time of trouble. Even with these informative books from these heavy hitters of literature, the 1960’s also brought us great children’s books. Such as Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak this book want with a little boy named Max who must face his childhood fears in a dream-like world.  

60's...the era to be remembered!

The 1960's were a time when love and peace rang free and everyone loved who they were. The 60's are well know for their music and their drugs but not much is known about the rest of their era. Many don't know about the books they read, or what they really wore. This era is one that everyone thinks they know, however the 60's has much that is unkown. Yes, it is true that during the 60's, when Hippies first emerged, the world was full of drugs, free love, and music. However, who really knows the Hippies, who really knows the 60's? Well lets try and uncover this "well" known era and see what it truly is about.