Taken By Storm Thorgerson's Album Art : The Picture ShowIf you've seen Pink Floyd's album covers, you've seen the work of Storm Thorgerson. A new exhibition pays homage to the designer's long and influential career.
Storm Thorgerson is like a mustache-less Salvador Dali of the modern design world — and almost cooler because he basically grew up with Pink Floyd. You've almost certainly seen his art at some point; over the course of his 40-year career it has covered albums by not only Pink Floyd, but also Led Zeppelin, Muse, The Cranberries, Genesis, etc.
Pink Floyd's "Back Catalogue," 1996
Storm Thorgerson/StormStudios/Courtesy of Idea Generation Gallery
The Mars Volta's "Frances the Mute" album cover, 2004
Storm Thorgerson/StormStudios/Courtesy of Idea Generation Gallery
The Cranberries' "Bury the Hatchet," 1999
Storm Thorgerson/StormStudios/Courtesy of Idea Generation Gallery
Muse's "Absolution," 2003
Storm Thorgerson/StormStudios/Muse/Courtesy of Idea Generation Gallery
Pink Floyd's "The Division Bell," 1994
Storm Thorgerson and Keith Breeden/Pink Floyd/Courtesy of Idea Generation Gallery
Phish's "Slip, Stitch and Pass," 1997
Storm Thorgerson/StormStudios/Courtesy of Idea Generation Gallery
Led Zeppelin's "Presence," 1976
Storm Thorgerson/Hipgnosis/Courtesy of Idea Generation Gallery
The Mars Volta's "Amputechture" (unused), 2006
Storm Thorgerson/StormStudios/Courtesy of Idea Generation Gallery
Pink Floyd's "Ummagumma," 1969
Storm Thorgerson/Hipgnosis/Courtesy of Idea Generation Gallery
Muse's "Black Holes and Revelations," 2006
Storm Thorgerson/The Men Of Mystery/Courtesy of Idea Generation Gallery
Pink Floyd's "Animals," 1977
Storm Thorgerson/Roger Waters Photos and Hipgnosis/Courtesy of Idea Generation Gallery
Led Zeppelin's "In Through the Out Door," 1979
Storm Thorgerson/Hipgnosis/Courtesy of Idea Generation Gallery
Pink Floyd's "Atom Heart Mother," 1980
Storm Thorgerson/Hipgnosis/Pink Floyd/Courtesy of Idea Generation Gallery
The Cortinas' "Defiant Pose" single, 1977
Storm Thorgerson/Hipgnosis/Courtesy of Idea Generation Gallery
Thornley's "Come Again," 2004
Storm Thorgerson/StormStudios/Courtesy of Idea Generation Gallery
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"Right But Wrong" is a retrospective exhibition of Thorgerson's work, on display through May 2 at Idea Generation Gallery in England . Weird and eccentric and kind of creepy, his pre-photoshop portfolio was (and still is) undoubtedly one of the most influential and recognizable in the realm of album art.
Album cover to Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon, 1973
Storm Thorgerson/Hipgnosis
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Storm Thorgerson/Hipgnosis
Descend into the deliriums of Thorgerson's head by taking a tour through his Web site. And check out Idea Generation while you're at it. It's a PR agency that says, "Find something you enjoy doing — and then try to do it better than anyone else." But don't choose album art. Thorgerson has that covered.
