Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
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OPPOSITE PAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIC RYAN ANDERSON; THIS PAGE: COPYRIGHT PETER MAX 2014 FROM LEFT: Max sketching at one of his gallery shows in 1971 and reclining in his studio in 1969. sat there one day with a friend and I saw this girl walking by. I said to my friend, "It's Marilyn Monroe," and as she's walking by, she turns to me and says, "I like your pants"—I had a lot of paint on my pants—and then she kept on walking. She was so stunning; all her features were just perfect. I GET BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS Many people will recognize your paintings of the Statue of Liberty or the "Love" series, but what do you think your most defining piece is? Painting the Statue of Liberty was a big thing because it's an emblem; it's the symbol for the United States of America, so it got so much attention. I've painted so many unbelievable people, like the Dalai Lama, John F. Kennedy—close to 800 unbelievable portraits. You've also painted portraits of all of the Beatles, who also just cele- brated 50 years in America. Over the years, your work has been linked many times to the band—tell us more about that relationship. I met John way, way back, and I was best friends with Yoko Ono. One day I read in the paper that my little friend Yoko was going out with John. I knew John, I knew Yoko; I could have introduced them in a second. I called her up and she said, "Yeah, John tells me he knows you really well." I used to go pick them up at the Dakota, and we'd go to Central Park. We used to walk around and talk and sing songs for years. Here in your studio, you have a colorful piano that's signed "To Peter, Love Ringo…." I did a Baldwin piano for Ringo Starr, and he loved it. Then Baldwin called me and said, "We love it so much, we're going to send you a piano." Two days later they deliver it, and I roll out my paints and start painting the piano beau- tiful colors. Just as I'm finishing, my girl comes from the front desk and says, "Your buddy Ringo is here." Ringo had been uptown and wanted to say thanks; instead he said, "I like yours better!" and I said, "No, Ringo, yours is the first; it's the nicest." He asked if I had paints and I said, "Do I have paints?" We rolled out a cart of paints, and he wrote, "To Peter, Love Ringo," followed by a star. Was it another famous Beatle, Paul McCartney, who turned you on to vegetarianism? Paul and I became vegetarians at the same time. I've been a vegetarian now for over 40 years, and I'm only 38. [Laughs] I've had everybody up here in the studio— from Mick Jagger a couple of times to Ringo Starr to Paul McCartney—they've all been up here, they're all my friends. Is it true that you have a DJ who works in your studio? Yes—Joe. He plays all good contemporary music—jazz, bebop, fusion jazz, certain rock 'n' roll. When I start painting, the music is on and I'm just in the groove. Music inspires my whole will to paint—it fuels the creativity. You worked with George Harrison on the Integral Yoga Institute, a yoga center and ashram in New York based on the teachings of Sri Swami Satchidananda, whom you brought to America in 1966. Was it George who introduced you to the Swami? FROM LEFT: shows in 1971 and reclining in his studio in 1969. No, George was involved with the Maharishi out of England. George and I talked about my Satchidananda and his Maharishi, and we introduced each other to the other guy. The institute teaches how to go into medita- tion, get your mind focused, do stretching, become a vegan—a lot of health, behavioral, and mental benefits that have changed my whole life. How did you first meet Swami Satchidananda? Conrad Rooks, who was the heir of Avon cosmetics, called me one day when I was in my early 20s, and he wanted me to come to Paris to help him with the colors on a film he was going to make. Conrad picks me up from the airport [in Paris] and we're hanging out in the restaurant at his hotel, and then in comes the Swami—long beard, beautiful long black hair, gorgeous eyes—and Conrad introduces me to him. After spending a day with the Swami, I knew I had to bring him to New York. All my hippie buddies were taking LSD, and I was thinking, This is the man we need to be with, not this other stuff. I brought him to America and I opened yoga centers for him. THE BEST IS YET TO COME Over your career, you've accomplished so much. Is there something— a goal—you have yet to achieve? I'm always being creative; that's full-time. And I've been listening to music very intensely my whole life, but especially in the last 36 months because I've been collecting music for seven feature films and animations. I called my friends—Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Bon Jovi—everyone I knew, and I got about 175,000 to 200,000 songs on these little iPods. Everything that's pop-y is five stars, and if it's a great piece but a little melodic, four stars. Everything that's four and five stars is going into the films. Out of 200,000 pieces of music, I selected about 3,000 or 4,000 that I adore. Have you ever thought about retiring? I've been retired since I was 20. [Laughs] Retiring is getting to do completely what you love, right? It's not like sitting in a chair somewhere. This is a nice life—it's creative, colors, music, and people. I love it. BC BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM 93