"Farming Peat Soils in Alberta" print (1971)

One of my favourite dawn-of-the-21st-century print artists (Art Chantry) introduced me to the term "corporate psych," a short way to describe the early 1970s attempts by larger, very non-hippie, institutions to deploy psychedelic aesthetics in ad material re: non-psychedelic subject matter. In my flat file I have a fantastic early example of it: a 1968 day-glo two-colour "Turn on to the Tories" election poster with Haight-Ashbury lettering over a psychedelic portrait of then-Canadian Conservative leader Robert Stanfield. 

There has never been such a "groovy" treatment for such a non-groovy politician, but I think this Alberta Department of Agriculture informational booklet cover about the farming of peat soil comes in close second. The lettering is skilfully written, framed on a rough-edged orange and even rougher half-toned brackets. This is incredible, especially considering where and when it came from. 

A booklet cover reproduction available at 12x18" or 24x36" on Epson Enhanced Matte 192 gsm paper printed with Epson UltraChrome XD2 archival ink. Sold in an open edition, unframed. The Alberta Department of Agriculture wordmark on this cover has been replaced with the words ”Alberta Farming Forum” due to Section 9 of the Canadian Trademarks Act.