Pop Artist, Vegan, Kind Soul: PETA Remembers Peter Max
Legendary artist Peter Max, renowned for his vivid style, distinctive lines, and bold color combinations, was as passionate about animal rights as he was about art. Max, who was born in Germany in 1937, and his family fled the Nazis in 1938 and settled in Shanghai, where they lived for the next 10 years. He later recounted that he became an animal activist when his family left that city—and left behind his best friend, his cat: “I cried for hours and hours,” he said. “I was out of my mind with it, sad, sad, sad.”
Max became a vegetarian in his 20s after he met Swami Satchidananda and was introduced to contemplative practices such as yoga and meditation. And after meeting Dr. Joel Fuhrman, author of the bestselling book Eat to Live, Max went vegan.
No animal was too big or too small for Max’s consideration. He told Vegetarian Times magazine, “If I see a bug crawling on the floor, I rush to the bug before my kitties get to him. I pick him up, take him to the park, and let him out where there are green plants and maybe a little bit of water so he doesn’t have to walk too far. I feel so good every time I do it. I tell you, it’s an overwhelming feeling. The bug is so small, and the feeling so huge.”
And in 2002, Max used his fame to secure sanctuary for a runaway cow, later named Cincinnati Freedom, who jumped a 6-foot fence at an Ohio slaughterhouse and eluded police for 11 days before she was finally captured. It was a plea from Max, who offered to donate artwork in exchange for her release, that saved the cow’s life. Thanks to Max’s generosity, Cincinnati Freedom lived out the rest of her days in peace at a farmed animal sanctuary.
This was not the first time that Max gave of his artwork to help animals. He created a special poster for PETA’s 1988 Second Humanitarian Awards Gala, with proceeds to benefit the group. PETA presented Max with a humanitarian award at the event to honor his longtime commitment to animal rights.
When once asked what cause was most dear to his heart, Max did not hesitate: “I’m completely an animal rights person,” he said. “I would like animals not to suffer so much at the hands of humanity. I believe that in due time, human beings will respect other animals.”
