About The Artist

For more than five decades, New York City–born artist Gary Kroman has been turning music, culture, and iconic personalities into unforgettable images.

Gary began his career as a freelance illustrator in 1972, creating artwork for advertising agencies, magazines, record companies, and the music industry. His early work was deeply influenced by the psychedelic poster artists of the 1960s and ’70s, including Rick Griffin, Kelly, and Mouse. His distinctive style soon led to collaborations with Relix magazine and a prolific body of posters, album covers, magazine covers, and T-shirt designs.

Among his best-known works are his 100 Grateful Dead Songs, Sunshine Daydream, Summer of Love 20th Anniversary, and Dead Serenade posters. His work has been exhibited in galleries and major collections, featured in rock-and-roll art exhibitions and auctions, and published in The Art of Rock.

But Gary’s artistic journey didn’t stop there.

After decades of traditional painting and illustration, he began searching for a new way to make his images feel less flat and more alive. Experimenting first with glass and eventually with plexiglass, he discovered a medium that allowed him to layer imagery, paint, texture, and space—creating the illusion that elements are literally floating within the artwork.

Today, Gary continues to push that idea further. Each piece is an experiment in depth, dimension, and perspective, often combining plexiglass, mixed media, texture, and layered imagery in unexpected ways.

His current work explores celebrity and persona—not simply who a person is, but the larger image, energy, and story they represent.

For Gary, every new piece is a question: What happens if I try this? What if I add another layer? What if the image doesn't just sit on the surface, but comes to life in the space around it?

The answers become the art.