Tracing the Effects of 1960s Psychedelics to Contemporary Art

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The following essay examines the influencing effect of the rush of psychedelic drugs during the 1960s-80s on contemporary art, and subsequently determines what these effects are. The essay begins with the biological aftermath of psychedelics on the mind as documented and investigated by doctors and experts in the field such as Heinrich Klüver. These effects were then considered in the analysis of works of several artists of the psychedelic period who were known to experiment with drugs. In order to trace the effects to contemporary art, an investigation into the social spread of psychedelic drugs and ideologies was also carried out, which dealt with other aspects of culture such as music and posters. This was done primarily with the aid of online databases. Finally an analysis of works by several contemporary artists was conducted in consideration with the found effects of psychedelic drugs.