Empty Spaces

Storm Thorgerson:

The Belgian manager of Plea, one Renaat, is refreshingly direct, and said, 'I so much like a design of yours Storm, called 'Guitars On Trees', can you do that for us too? As a companion to the 'Tunnel'. We can use it as the innerspread of a gatefold vinyl', he added enthusiastically, and here it is. The idea goes like this... as Rock 'n' Roll guitars are invariably made of wood, theirs are being returned to their source, tied neatly with rope as if an offering of libation, and what you see is what you get. This little pine wood near Cape Town is a favorite spot for picnics.

Storm Thorgerson:

Sufficiently stimulated, we composed several designs, two of which I particularly liked They unanimously chose, however, 'The Tunnel' from which school boys are emerging, from the darkness to the daylight, observed by four shadowy figures on the bridge. The boys are carrying lighted orbs, which I saw as the 'great spheres of knowledge'. This is a design about education, hence the schoolboys in uniform. It is the possession of knowledge, especially in the Rock 'n' Roll context, which marks the grown up emerging from adolescence into the light of young adulthood. The plea also had a song called 'Out Like a Light' which may or may not have been about the same thing.

Storm Thorgerson:

I was impressed back then by their live show because Phish were clearly intent on playing music (not going through the motions), keen to improvise and adapt (within context), and to extend songs and pieces in unexpected ways. I was even more impressed to learn later that they did not have a set list. Good grief, no set list!...The design selected featured a man running down a beach holding a piece of yarn (could be wool, string, or rope) which he was pulling from a giant ball behind. This humungous ball of wool (or yarn or string) was intended, in a loose kind of way, to represent the music that the musician, the figure on the beach, was unravelling. The wool was the theme or melody line, which the musician would tease out, running with it until the extensions and variations were exhausted, the music was over, and the giant ball fully unwound.

Storm Thorgerson:

The back cover images was of the backside, as it were. Simple but fun. We think that the snappy title in simple typography on striking, saucy (outrageous?) image was echoed in more recent times with The Strokes' release, Is This It.

Storm Thorgerson:

The idea of the piebald style humans, with these blotches on them, that caught our eye, and we liked that. And they went off and did the proper photograph with the bathroom. I think it's a set. It's not like them to just go into someone's bathroom; they had to build a set.

Storm Thorgerson:

Once into the thrall one could be said to be in the groove, a favourite expression I think amongst musicians. This design attempts to describe that by carving a large groove/trench in the countryside and lining it with vinyl. Hovering above the groove is a large needle as it were, waiting to play the record. This is a real event - a sort of land art or arable sculpture.

Storm Thorgerson:

We imagined a volcanic landscape with a graphic flame in the middle of it - an eternal flame symbolising how two deceased bands, Soundgarden and Rage Against The Machine lived on, reincarnated as Audioslave. This shape that looked like a hand or flame was turned into a large sculpture made of beaten bronze, like a sounding brass. The little figure is playing homage to the sculpture and acting as both a size and a reference point. A pilgrimage to the mystic sounding brass set in the volcanic wastelands of Lanzarote – paying homage to an eternal flame (Audioslave) as any slave to sound should.

Storm Elvin Thorgerson (28 February 1944 – 18 April 2013)

Storm Thorgerson & Aubrey Powell:

The diver's helmet was incredibly heavy and we had no air supply for the man inside. In the hot studio it became quite unbearable for him, especially as he was holding the girl. We had to keep stopping, taking the helmet off, and then putting it back on again; it was a b****y nightmare.

Storm Thorgerson & Aubrey Powell:

This picture of a sheep on a psychoanalytic couch was designed as a poster insert for 10cc's 1980 album Look Hear?. The band had asked for 'something different'. I decided to take them literally and suggest something without imagery, without imagery? Bit like shooting myself in the foot. I suggested that the album cover was verbal, like a newspaper headline, large fragmented text, no imagery. I thought it was more engaging to ask a question and between us we came up with 'Are You Normal?' as if the viewer were barmy, which somehow applied to the intrinsic madness of rock'n'roll, of 10cc.....

AP and the Heat - Bleak Future EP cover

AP And The Heat - Bleak Future EP cover