Bob Peak
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Robert "Bob" M. Peak (May 30, 1927 – August 1, 1992) was an American commercial illustrator best known for innovative design in the development of the modern movie poster.
His artwork has been on the cover of Time magazine, TV Guide, and Sports Illustrated. He also illustrated advertisements and U.S. postage stamps.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life and career
Bob Peak was born in Denver, Colorado and grew up in Wichita, Kansas. He knew from an early age that he wanted to be a commercial illustrator. He majored in geology from Wichita State University and got a part time job in the art department of McCormick-Armstrong. After serving the military during the Korean War, Peak transferred to the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, California, graduating in 1951.
In 1953, Peak moved to New York City, landed an Old Hickory Whiskey advertising campaign. His work went on to appear in major advertising and national magazines.
[edit] Later career
United Artists studio hired Peak in 1961 to design the poster images for the film West Side Story. The success of Peak's work on that film led to work on posters for designer Bill Gold, including the big-budget musicals My Fair Lady and Camelot. In the mid-1970s Peak's style would become familiar to fans of science fiction films when he created the poster art for the futuristic film Rollerball (1975), which was followed by the first five Star Trek films, Superman (1978), Excalibur (1981), In Like Flint, and Apocalypse Now (1979). By the 1980s only the movie poster artist Drew Struzan was in as much demand by film directors[citation needed].
Peak received a commission from the U.S. Postal Service to design 30 stamps for the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia.
From January 20 through April 17, 2011, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented the "Bob Peak: Creating the Modern Movie Poster" exhibit at its headquarters building in Beverly Hills.[1]
[edit] Teaching
Peak also taught in his own college and later at Art Students League, New York and Famous Artists School.
[edit] Awards
In 1961, Peak was named Artist of the Year by the Artists Guild of New York. He won eight Awards of Excellence and four gold medals from Society of Illustrators, which in 1977 Society of Illustrators him to its Hall of Fame. The Hollywood Reporter presented him the 1992 Key Art Lifetime Achievement Award.
[edit] Similar artists
- Richard Amsel
- Saul Bass
- Jack Davis
- Frank Frazetta
- The Brothers Hildebrandt
- Tom Jung
- Sanford Kossin
- Frank McCarthy
- Drew Struzan
- Howard Terpning
[edit] References
- ^ Bob Peak: Creating the Modern Movie Poster, Oscars.org, February, 2011
[edit] External links
- A tribute to the legacy of Bob Peak featuring a gallery of Bob Peak's work, and special event showings
- www.BOBPEAK.net official site by son Matthew Joseph Peak
- SANGUIN FINE ART GALLERY Bob Peak original art
- Critical essay on Bob Peak's art
- Bob Peak artwork can be viewed at American Art Archives web site
