Skull & Rose Art Information
Skull and rose artwork become popular in the 1960s and 1970s as part of the psychedelic poster revolution designed to advertise rock 'n' roll bands such as the Grateful Dead and Jimi Hendrix.
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History
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In the mid-1960s, Alton Kelley began creating psychedelic posters for rock groups such as the Grateful Dead. According to the Los Angeles Times, Kelley's most famous design was the skull and rose design he created for the group.
Significance
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Psychedelic artwork continues to be popular, especially as an option for tattoos. There are many skull and rose tattoo designs offering a variety of symbolism to go with the images.
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Symbolism
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According to Tattoo5.com, a skull can represent death, danger, power, protection or strength. When combined with a rose, the art represents eternity or resurrection. The color of the rose can also influence the symbolism of the design.
Theories/Speculation
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The symbolism behind skull and rose designs varies on an individual basis and may mean one thing to one person while conveying something else to another. It does not always relate to something evil or demonic.
Fun Fact
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Alton Kelley popularized skull and rose art, but he gave credit for the design to an illustration he saw in "The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam." The Persian poet died in 1123.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Nicole Makauskas
