page_title: Michael Bowen (artist)
section_title: The Human Be-In
hierarchical_section_title: Michael Bowen (artist) / Haight-Ashbury and the Summer of Love / The Human Be-In
caption_attribution_description: English: Famous poster advertising the Human Be-In made by Michael Bowen
context_page_description: Michael Bowen was an American fine artist known as one of the co-founders of the late 20th and 21st century Visionary art movements. His works include paintings on canvas and paper, 92 intaglio etchings based on Jungian psychology, assemblage, bronze sculpture, collage, and handmade art books.
  An icon of the American Beat Generation and the 1960s counterculture, Bowen is also known for his role in inspiring and organizing the first Human Be-In in San Francisco. Chronicled in books and periodicals reflecting on the turbulent 1960s, Bowen's historical impact on both the literary and visual art worlds is well documented. He remains influential among avant-garde art circles around the world.
context_section_description: The event the three counterculture leaders previously envisioned became the Human Be-In, which took place on January 14, 1967. The event was primarily organized by Bowen. He created the poster promoting the event, organized the city permit, invited the Beat Generation speakers, including Allen Ginsberg, Gary Snyder, Lenore Kandel, Michael McClure, and Timothy Leary, and scheduled the San Francisco rock bands, including The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane, who played for free at the event. The Hells Angels provided security, and a flatbed truck with amplification driven by a gas generator was donated to create a stage. The Human Be-In was a coming together of people for no other reason than to just "BE"; to make love, not war, to share and commune with new friends and to celebrate life. The Human Be-In, sometimes referred to as a Love-In, was specifically designed by Bowen to be imitated and to be remembered into the future. As a lifelong fine artist, Bowen considers his creation of the Human Be-In to be performance art. This notion was confirmed by an Italian journalist, who calls Bowen "The father of performance art" for his Human Be-In creation.
caption: Human Be-In Poster 1967
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