Overview
- His son issued a written statement confirming that Max died on Monday, Sept. 14, at age 88, and the family has not disclosed a cause of death.
- Max rose to fame in the 1960s for DayGlo, psychedelic imagery that became ubiquitous on posters, household goods and major-event commissions such as the Olympics, Super Bowls and World Cup.
- Born Peter Max Finkelstein in Berlin in 1937, his Jewish family fled Nazi Germany and lived in Shanghai, Tibet, Israel and Paris before settling in New York, where he trained at several art schools.
- His career included major commercial success and institutional recognition, but it was marred by a 1997 tax-fraud conviction and later allegations about who actually produced some works sold under his name.
- Reports of advanced dementia led to public guardianship disputes between his children and his second wife, Mary Balkin, a conflict that drew scrutiny of his care and the handling of his estate.