This is an extremely popular poster and has been reprinted twice. This is the very rare first printing. It features a standing pin-up image of Theda Bara, a famous sex symbol and vamp from the silent screen era. Victor Moscoso notes that this was, "My first psychedelic pin up and the first to carry the “Neon Rose” name. One of my more popular posters back then and now. It was printed 3 times."
Victor Moscoso credits his Yale professor Josef Albers as the influence for a signature feature of his work: the use of vibrating colors. Although Day-Glo or fluorescent inks were widely available in the 1960s, Moscoso declined to use them, relying instead on color juxtapositions to replicate the hyper-saturated color illusions associated with the use of hallucinogenic drugs.
The Matrix was a small club in San Francisco’s Cow Hollow neighborhood from 1965 to 1972 and was one of the keys to what eventually became known as the "San Francisco Sound" in rock music. The Matrix opened August 13, 1965 showcasing Jefferson Airplane, which singer Marty Balin had put together as the club's "house band".
Jefferson Airplane rose rapidly to local prominence during late 1965 and early 1966 with their performances at The Matrix, and it was there that they were first seen by noted music critic Ralph J. Gleason, who became an early champion of the group. The Matrix was a favorite haunt of gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson in the late 1960s when he was a contributing editor for Rolling Stone. The Matrix is still there today, called the White Rabbit.