Album Cover

Pink Floyd - Wish you were here.

I wanted to research the above album cover as it is from one of favourite bands, Pink Floyd, and I find imagery interesting and I feel it raises some interesting questions.  I went about researching the album cover to find out more.

I found the following link that contains some useful information about the album cover, I also found this link that explains more about the image and it's themes.  The theme for this album was absence. Originally the band and cover designer wanted to go with a blank cover, but the Beatles had already done this.

The designer, Storm Thorgerson, was responsible for the cover and decided to go for a shrink-wrapped cover for the LPs in black and opaque cellophane. Some fans cut the sleeve with a blade and slid the record out so have never seen.  I researched other work that Storm has worked on and found that he designed the cover for the Audio Slave album in the early 00s.

The front cover also features a pale border that appears to have a burnt effect to it as if it has been heated or partially set on fire. The cover was shot in a studio back lot, to create the effect of the burning man, the design team doused  a stuntman (wearing an asbestos suit and wig) with gasoline and set him on fire. The wind blew the flames against his face, burning his real moustache. The men in suits symbolise stereotypical corporate executives — the type who ignorantly ask, “Oh by the way, which one’s Pink?” in the song “Have a Cigar” which opens Side 2 of the album.

This photo was taken during the shoot showing the flames as the stuntman starts to attempt to put the fire out.

The back cover consists of an invisible man in a suit in the desert.  This image connotes the death of the faceless salesman and the anti corporate message that the band are trying to evoke.  The back also contains a pale border that interacts with the main image where the sand appears to spill out from the image.  This effect makes the image appear more real and gives the impression that there is a real world within the cover.  

Objective:

• To be inspired by your favourite album cover.
• To research one of the 100 album covers below

Task:

1. Look at this list of the top 100 album covers of all time from Rolling Stone
2. Pick you favourite one that is photography based and print it out
3. Annotate your chosen album cover by hand.  Use elements such as form, shape, lines, tone, balance...
4. Look into other work created by the album artist and find out what else they have worked on
5. create a few slides that covers what you have found out.  You should be trying to find out the following:

• Artist that worked on the album and other work they have done
• What the cover means
• How the cover fits in with the theme of the album
• How the back cover compliments the front
• Include links to sources you have used
• Discuss about the process of the photoshoot
• Outline the 
• Before you start this task, you should make sure there is enough information about your chosen album available online.  Look at the depth I have gone into in my work and this will give you some idea of the level of detail I need.

Task checklist -  have you done the following?

• Explained why you have picked THIS cover?
• Shown where you have got the information from in the form of hyperlinks
• Discussed other work completed by the artist and included their work with your slides
• Discussed both the front and back cover
• Discussed the process, is there any process evidence that you can find?
• Discussed the meaning that was intended from the cover and how it aligns with the theme of the album.

Homework

Listen to the album from start to finish and have a go at discussing the relationship between the music and the visuals, consider the following:

• How do the lyrics align with the cover?
• How does the tone of the music align with cover, is it dark or light, happy or sad?
• What sort of genre would you describe the music to be?
• What would be the best way to listen to this music, in a party, in the car, in a room by candle light?
• Is the music what you might expect based on the cover?

Plan a photoshoot that has been inspired by the album cover you have looked at

• Draw a plan by hand
• What equipment will you need?
• Where will you need to take the photos?
• Do you need any models?
• What sort of technique might you need to adopt

Deadline: Thursday 21st December