A journal by artist and designer John Coulthart.
The Prophecy is a Michelangelo-esque collaboration between BeautifulMag and digital artist Aymeric Giraudel which you can download at high resolution here and here. (If you want a single picture you’ll have to stitch them together yourself.) Among the models for this are Les Farfadais whose work was mentioned here last June.
Elsewhere on { feuilleton }
• The gay artists archive
The Mindscape of Alan Moore; film poster by John Coulthart (2003).
Alan Moore: An Extraordinary Gentleman;
event poster by unknown designer (2008).
Previously on { feuilleton }
• Design as virus 2: album covers
• Design as virus 1: Victorian borders
Contrasts in Hi-Fi by Bob Sharples.
A Tribute to Alex Steinweiss
The Creator of the Album Cover
Robert Berman Gallery announces an exhibition of Alex Steinwiss. Original album covers, paintings, and collages by Steinweiss, and special tribute by selected artists. Co-curated by Kevin Reagan and Greg Escalante.
In 1939, a 23 year-old graphic designer revolutionized the music industry. No longer would records come in plain brown wrappers. As Art Director at Columbia Records, Steinweiss created the ‘album package.’ His idea was to create a visual to complement the musical. It was an instant success, and spawned an entire new field of illustration and design: Album Cover Art. Steinweiss was the king of the genre; his covers are still regarded as icons.In his four decade career, Steinweiss created album covers for musical luminaries such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Igor Stravinsky and Benny Goodman.
The Miraculous Mandarin (circa 1977).
The Steinweiss exhibition will feature 50 of his original cover designs, plus 50 original ‘tribute’ works, created specifically for this show. Artists that are honoring Steinweiss in the show include: Clive Barker, Bill Barminski, Ron English, Mick Haggerty, Raymond Pettibon, Shag, and Glenn Wexler. The featured artists have created album covers for a wide range of musicians, including Black Flag, Dixie Chicks, Goo Goo Dolls, Supertramp, and Rob Zombie.
“Steinweiss is 90 years old this year; this tribute is long over-due. The art community is excited to have a chance to pay homage to Alex’s unprecedented contribution to album cover art,” says Kevin Reagan, three time GRAMMY winning Art Director.
“It’s amazing to discover this one man, this un-sung hero, who is responsible for inventing the album. Steinweiss should be a household name,” says Greg Escalante, curator of Juxtapoz, and co-founder of Copro-Nason Gallery.
“The opportunity to highlight ‘the art of music’ is exciting. You have the energy of two different genres, and their combination is explosive,” says gallery owner Robert Berman. “Just plain design didn’t mean a damn thing,” Steinweiss says. You had to know music. I had to find a way to bring out the beauty of the music and the story.” (dwell, 10/07)
Alex Steinweiss lives in Sarasota, Florida, where he continues to design and paint.
A Tribute to Alex Steinweiss
Gala Opening: January 19th
Show runs through February 12th, 2008
Robert Berman Gallery
Bergamot Station Arts Center
2525 Michigan Avenue, C2
Santa Monica, CA 90404
• Alex Steinweiss at the Art Director’s Club Hall of Fame
• For the Record: The Life and Work of Alex Steinweiss at Amazon
• Alex Steinweiss at Soundfountain
Elsewhere on { feuilleton }
• The album covers archive
Electric Funk by Jimmy McGriff (1969).
Okay, so the graphical similarity between Jimmy McGriff’s album sleeve and Nick Drake‘s, which appeared a year later, is probably coincidence but I couldn’t help noting it. Electric Funk was released on the Blue Note Records label which was highly regarded for its sleeve design so it wouldn’t be too surprising if someone at Island Records had seen it.
Bryter Later by Nick Drake (1970).
The album below by Japanese band Boris is a copy of Nick Drake’s, of course, a pastiche technique they’ve adopted for a couple of their other releases. The Japanese seem to be especially fond of this approach, Kawabata Makoto and Acid Mothers Temple (also below) having released many CDs which work playful riffs on western rock history.
Akuma No Uta by Boris (2003).
Hot Rats by Frank Zappa (1969); Hot Rattlesnakes by Kawabata Makoto and the Mothers of Invasion (2001).
Elsewhere on { feuilleton }
• The album covers archive
Previously on { feuilleton }
• Design as virus 1: Victorian borders
Son hints he will burn Nabokov’s last work
| Ardour or nada?