If you’ve listened to any music at all in the last forty years you’re no doubt familiar with the work of British graphic designer Storm Thorgerson, who passed away last week in England at the age of 69. A prolific designer, whether solo or in conjunction with his design firms Hipnosis and Stormstudios, Thorgerson has been responsible for the design of some 300 album and CD covers for groups as diverse as Led Zeppelin, The Cranberries, Phish, Anthrax, Muse and, of course, Pink Floyd. His most famous work, the cover for Pink Floyd’s 1972 classic Dark Side Of The Moon (above), has transcended art and music to become an iconic, instantly recognizable part of pop culture.
A graduate of London’s Royal College of Art, Thorgerson was a teenage friend of early Pink Floyd members Syd Barrett, Rogers Waters and David Gilmour. His collaboration with that band began in 1967 when he designed the cover for the group’s second album A Saucerful of Secrets, and has since extended over 45 years and 15 album covers. Indeed, his artwork is as synonymous with the Pink Floyd brand as the band’s eponymous sound, to the point where his images complement the music and vice versa. “The artworks that he created for Pink Floyd from 1968 to the present day have been an inseparable part of our work,” said guitarist Gilmour on the band’s website.
A surrealist at heart, Thorgerson was evidently influenced by classic surrealists like Man Ray, Magritte, Picasso, Dalí, Kandinsky and Juan Gris. He worked mostly with photographs, creating harsh collages, weird juxtapositions, infinite mirrors and reality-defying cityscapes, images that often required elaborate constructions, such as the giant inflatable flying pig in Pink Floyd’s Animals, or the bizarre lunarscape of Led Zeppelin’s Houses Of The Holy (below).
To quote Thorgerson, “I like photography because it is a reality medium, unlike drawing, which is unreal. I like to mess with reality … to bend reality. Some of my works beg the question of is it real or not?”
Science fiction author Douglas Adams (The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy) once called Thorgerson “the best album designer in the world,” but the passing of Storm Thorgerson is a major loss to the worlds of music and art as well as design. Here is but a small sample of the amazingly surrealist work of Storm Thorgerson.
Amazing talent before photoshop!
Hi, and thanks for visiting. That’s what I was thinking when I was gathering this gallery. Amazing!
What an amazing icon! 🙂
I know! Some of his works are total icons! Putting this gallery together was fun.
Wow! I’ve seen some of these covers and never even knew that they were all by the same artist. Good for him, and good for you, featuring his work.
Hi Victoria … I know. The breadth and scope of his work is amazing. So many different styles, so many great ideas!
A great tribute to a talented man. Thanks, Stephen.
You’re welcome Allan. I feel like I grew up looking at his images. A real talent!
I have some his art … in my CD unit … love the Cranberries … and One Revolution’s covers!!! Have Peter Gabriel too. Maybe I should make a montage of the covers he made and frame it.
Thanks for this … giving me the man behind the art. 69 far too young.
Hi Viveka … I think everyone has more than one album with his artwork on the cover. It’s nice that his work will live on forever!
Yes, it’s a pity that we never think about who the person behind our everyday art really are.
A beautiful hommage Stephen.. his work will not be forgotten!
Thanks, Paula. It’s amazing how many iconic album covers he had a hand in. In a way, his work will be as immortal as any of the great masters.
ciao! your post honored him.
thebestdressup
Hi bestdressup, and welcome to my blog. Thanks! I’m glad I gave a fitting tribute to an amazing designer/artist!
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I like Viveka have quite a few of these album covers in my collection, but I never knew who the artist was. His artwork reflects the artist too, setting the visual tone for the audio experience to come. I wonder in this digital age of downloads whether the medium of album covers will disappear, which will be a loss.
Hi Chris! Cheers, mate … and thanks for visiting. Personally, I think the medium of album cover art is already dead. You just don’t get the impact of how an awesome album cover can work to fit the mood of the music when you download an album or track. Most of the time, I don’t think people even care about the covers anymore. As a graphic designer and lover of music, I think that’s a damn shame!
Hi Chris! Cheers, mate … and thanks for visiting. Personally, I think the medium of album cover art is already dead. You just don’t get the impact of how an awesome album cover can work to fit the mood of the music when you download an album or track. Most of the time, I don’t think people even care about the covers anymore. As a graphic designer and lover of music, I think that’s a damn shame!