Wilfried Sätty - Curriculum Vitae
Wilfried Sätty: Visionary Collage Artist Who Fused History, Surrealism, and Counterculture.
Curriculum Vitae
Abridged version
WILFRIED SÄTTY (1939–1982)
Collage Artist, Illustrator, Poster Artist
Estate and website managed by Co-Executor Ryan Medeiros
For further information please visit Sattyart.com
Biography
Wilfried Sätty (1939–1982) was a German-born collage artist and graphic designer whose intricate, surreal works became hallmarks of 1960s San Francisco's counterculture. Trained as an engineering technician, Sätty moved to the U.S. and embraced art as a self-taught creative, inspired by the psychedelic era. Using historical book illustrations and other archival images, he built a vast “image bank” to create complex collages that fused mysticism, history, and imagination. His iconic posters and album covers for publishers like East Totem West captured the spirit of the era, while his book illustrations, including The Cosmic Bicycle (1971) and The Illustrated Edgar Allan Poe (1976), expanded his artistic legacy. Sätty’s later works explored San Francisco’s history, reimagining its Gold Rush and 19th-century culture in vivid, dreamlike scenes. His art continues to inspire for its unique blend of historical and surreal elements.
Exhibitions
Recent Museum Shows
Portland Art Museum: Psychedelic Rock Posters and Fashion of the 1960s (Oct 19, 2024 – Mar 30, 2025). Selected posters curated by Gary Westbrook.
San José Museum of Art: Visions of Frisco Series (Oct 17, 2008 – Mar 22, 2009). Collages interpreting San Francisco Gold Rush history (1848–1890s).
Oakland Museum: Art in the San Francisco Bay Area: 1945–1980 (1985).
San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery: Retrospectacle (1987).
Solo Shows
California Historical Society, San Francisco (1984).
Krannert Art Museum, University of Illinois (1985).
Moore Gallery, San Francisco (1968).
Berkeley Gallery, San Francisco (1970).
Goethe Center, San Francisco (1971).
Claire Wiles Gallery, San Francisco (1973–1974).
Group Shows
San Francisco Museum of Art (1967).
Boston Museum of Fine Arts (1969).
Museum of Modern Art, New York (1971).
National Museum of Art, Belgrade, Yugoslavia (1970).
Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco (April–June 1975).
(Sätty participated in numerous poster art group shows not listed here.)
Books by Sätty
Visions of Frisco (2007). Regent Press.
The Illustrated Edgar Allan Poe (1976). Clarkson N. Potter Inc.
Der Haschisch Esser (1981). German edition of The Hasheesh Eater.
The Cosmic Bicycle (1971). Straight Arrow Books.
Time Zone (1973). Straight Arrow Books.
Notable Illustrations
Book Covers & Illustrations
The Annotated Dracula, Leonard Wolf (1975).
The Hasheesh Eater, Fitz Hugh Ludlow (1975).
Monsters, Leonard Wolf (1974).
Periodicals
Rolling Stone (26 issues).
Washington Post Book World (1973–1975).
Ramparts (4 issues).
East Village Other.
Posters & Album Covers
POSTERS (IN COLOR) BY SÄTTY
Published in the San Francisco Bay Area by:
East Totem West (1967–1970): Four 22"x35" posters, total edition: 170,000 posters.
San Francisco Avion (1966–1969): Three 20"x26" posters, four 22"x35" posters, and one 58"x40" poster.
Celestial Arts (1963–present): Fourteen 22"x35" posters and one 20"x26" poster.
Wespac (1967–1969): Four 22"x35" posters.
Astro Posters (1968–1969): Three 22"x35" posters.
Thofra (1970–present): One 22"x35" poster.
The Psychedelic Experience: Collaborative poster series for Bay Area counterculture events (1967–1969).
Monterey Pop Festival Tribute Poster: A 1973 reimagining of 1967's iconic Summer of Love visuals.
AD POSTERS BY SÄTTY
"The Committee" (San Francisco satirical theater), 22"x35".
Santa Cruz rock poster (1968), 20"x26".
"Northern Californians for McCarthy" (1968), 22"x35".
Ragtime Fashion Show poster with Mark Behrens (1971), 14"x22".
Poster for the book The Cosmic Bicycle (1971), 20"x29".
"Winterland Psychedelic Light Show" (1969), 24"x36".
RECORD ALBUM COVERS BY SÄTTY
"Ghandarva", Beaver and Kraus; Warner Bros., 1971. Five-color cover with David Singer.
"The Occult", United Artists, 1973. Color cover and back plus 12 illustrations in the booklet.
"The Miraculous Hump Returns From the Moon", The Sopwith Camel; Warner Bros., 1973.
"Feel", George Duke; MPS Records, 1974. Separate European release, 1975.
"The Aura Will Prevail", George Duke; MPS Records, 1975. Separate European release, 1975.
"San Francisco Sounds" Compilation Album: A tribute to the Bay Area's evolving music scene, 1975.
"Live at the Avalon Ballroom", Big Brother and the Holding Company; 1976.
"Psychedelic Hymns", Electric Visions Collective; 1977.
Press Coverage
California Historical Courier (1984): "Satty's Imaginative History of San Francisco."
Art Forum (1971): Exhibition review with artwork reproductions.
San Francisco Chronicle (1968–1972): Exhibition reviews.
Time (1972): Feature on Environmental Art.
Films Featuring Sätty
Media: Black Magic of America (1972). French National Television.
The Cosmic Bicycle Animated Film (1972). Bonanza Films.
Tommy (1972). Visual projections for The Who’s rock opera.
Guest Lectures
San Francisco Art Institute (1971, 1974).
Berkeley Gallery, San Francisco (1971).
Resume Addendum Updates
W. Medeiros (1976, 1987)
R. Medeiros (2024)
For further information please visit Sattyart.com. Compiled and published by Ryan Medeiros, Co-Executor of the Estate of Wilfried Sätty.