Fantasy Unlimited
Encyclopedia
Fantasy Unlimited was a multimedia
artists collective
in New York.
, whom Peter knew from art school.
The collective lived and worked on a 110 acre (0.4451546 km²) 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:
but also work for:
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
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).
) for Bill Graham. The poster for the Jimi Hendrix Experience was voted #8 in the Top 25 Rock Posters by Billboard Magazine.
O'Hagan, Helen, Kathleen Rowold; Bill Blass: An American Designer; Harry N. Abrams Inc. ; 272pp; ISBN 0810932806
Shrimpton, Jean; Jean Shrimpton: An Autobiography; Time Warner Paperbacks; 1991; 254 pp; ISBN 0747409625
Multimedia
Multimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...
artists collective
Collective
A collective is a group of entities that share or are motivated by at least one common issue or interest, or work together on a specific project to achieve a common objective...
in New York.
History
The collective was founded by Peter Nevard in 1967. One of the co-founders was David Edward ByrdDavid Edward Byrd
David Edward Byrd is an American graphic artist, designer, illustrator and painter.-Personal life:David Byrd was born April 4, 1941, in what is now Cleveland, Tennessee, and was raised in Miami Beach, Florida. David has lived in the Los Angeles area since the 1980s...
, whom Peter knew from art school.
The collective lived and worked on a 110 acre (0.4451546 km²) farm on the bank of the Neversink River
Neversink River
The Neversink River is a tributary of the Delaware River in southeastern New York in the United States...
in Port Jervis, NY
Port Jervis, New York
Port Jervis is a city on the Delaware River in western Orange County, New York, with a population of 8,860 at the 2000 census. The communities of Deerpark, Huguenot, Sparrowbush, and Greenville are adjacent to Port Jervis, and the towns of Montague, New Jersey and Matamoras, Pennsylvania face the...
.
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:
- ClairolClairolClairol is a personal care products division of Procter & Gamble. The Clairol company was started in 1931 by Lawrence M. Gelb and wife, Joan, who named their enterprise after a hair-coloring preparation they found while traveling in France....
, "The Innocence of Blonde" with Cheryl TiegsCheryl TiegsCheryl Rae Tiegs is an American model and actress.- Early years :Tiegs was born in Breckenridge, Minnesota but raised in Alhambra, California, and she graduated from Alhambra High School in 1965. She also attended the California State University, Los Angeles and became a little sister to the Sigma...
(for Clairol's Innocent Blond range of products) - YardleyYardley of LondonYardley of London is a traditional British cosmetics brand and is one of the oldest in the world. Established in 1770, Yardley was a major producer of soap and perfumery by the beginning of the 20th century. By 1910, it moved to London's Bond Street, and in 1921 Yardley received its first Royal...
cosmetics, "The Yardley London Look" with Jean ShrimptonJean ShrimptonJean Rosemary Shrimpton is an English model and actress. She was an icon of Swinging London and is considered to be one of the world's first supermodels.... - Bill BlassBill Blass LimitedBill Blass Limited is a fashion house founded by American designer Bill Blass. It is known for its highly priced, beautifully cut womenswear, notable for its inventive combinations of patterns and textures...
, "The Bill Blass Collection"
but also work for:
- Bloomingdale'sBloomingdale'sBloomingdale's is an American department store owned by Macy's, Inc. .Bloomingdale's started in 1861 when brothers Joseph and Lyman G. Bloomingdale started selling hoop-skirts in their Ladies Notions' Shop on Manhattan's Lower East Side...
- Boussac of France (fabrics, now part of Pierre Frey)
- Dayton’s of MinneapolisDayton'sMinneapolis-based Dayton's was among the leading department stores in the United States for nearly a century after its founding in 1902 by George Draper Dayton. In 1969, the Detroit-based J.L. Hudson Company merged with the Dayton Corporation to form the Dayton-Hudson Corporation, adding 21...
- Ralph LaurenPolo Ralph LaurenRalph Lauren Corporation is a luxury clothing and goods company of the American fashion designer Ralph Lauren. Ralph Lauren specializes in high-end casual/semi-formal wear for men and women, as well as accessories, fragrances, home and housewares...
- Oscar de la RentaOscar de la RentaOscar de la Renta is one of the world's leading fashion designers. He was named to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1973.-Career:...
- TennecoTennecoTenneco is a $6.2 billion Fortune 500 company that has been publicly traded on the NYSE since November 5, 1999 under the symbol TEN...
Chemicals
among others.
In early 1968, work was started for Bill Graham
Bill Graham (promoter)
Bill Graham was an American impresario and rock concert promoter from the 1960s until his death.-Early life:...
for venues of major stars in the new Fillmore East
Fillmore East
The Fillmore East was rock promoter Bill Graham's rock venue on Second Avenue near East 6th Street in the East Village neighborhood of the Manhattan borough of New York City. It was open from 1968 to 1971, and featured some of the biggest acts in rock music at the time...
Ballroom in Manhattan’s East Village
East Village, Manhattan
The East Village is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, lying east of Greenwich Village, south of Gramercy and Stuyvesant Town, and north of the Lower East Side...
.
Fantasy Unlimited created posters and other art work for, among others, The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience were an English-American psychedelic rock band that formed in London in October 1966. Comprising eponymous singer-songwriter and guitarist Jimi Hendrix, bassist and backing vocalist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, the band was active until June 1969, in which...
, Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
and Traffic
Traffic (band)
Traffic were an English rock band whose members came from the West Midlands. The group formed in April 1967 by Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood and Dave Mason...
.
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).
Gallery
Posters created by Fantasy Unlimited (by ByrdDavid Edward Byrd
David Edward Byrd is an American graphic artist, designer, illustrator and painter.-Personal life:David Byrd was born April 4, 1941, in what is now Cleveland, Tennessee, and was raised in Miami Beach, Florida. David has lived in the Los Angeles area since the 1980s...
) for Bill Graham. The poster for the Jimi Hendrix Experience was voted #8 in the Top 25 Rock Posters by Billboard Magazine.
Further reading
Grushkin, Paul D.; The Art of Rock: Posters from Presley to Punk; Abbeville Press; First Edition 1987; 516 pp; ISBN 0896595846O'Hagan, Helen, Kathleen Rowold; Bill Blass: An American Designer; Harry N. Abrams Inc. ; 272pp; ISBN 0810932806
Shrimpton, Jean; Jean Shrimpton: An Autobiography; Time Warner Paperbacks; 1991; 254 pp; ISBN 0747409625