Picture sourceThe guy who designed 80% of your record collection:
Storm Thorgerson began his career as part of Hipgnosis before establishing himself in his own right. Creating visually beautiful and thought-provoking art, he is responsible for the iconic images associated with bands such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Cranberries, Black Sabbath, Peter Gabriel, and 10cc, amongst others. As a result, since the 1970s his work has become synonymous with identifying pop culture.
The distinctive and edgy style of Thorgerson’s art has an element of "performance" to it. In essence, he visualizes his concept, creates the imaginative scene, and then captures it through the use of photography. In other words, his ‘temporary installation’ is caught on camera and then it is gone, leaving behind a photograph as the only evidence of its occurrence. It is these images that have graced album covers by the likes of Pink Floyd (Wish You Were Here, Dark Side of the Moon, Division Bell), The Cranberries (Bury the Hatchet), and Led Zeppelin (Houses of the Holy).
Thorgerson seems to take joy in engaging his audience and provoking a reaction — is it reality or is it fantasy? — and though many come to know his images before they know the artist, his work consistently strikes a chord in its viewers. In an age of digital technology, it is hard to believe that the metal heads featured on Division Bell were physically produced and not computer generated, or that the man in Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here was actually set alight.
Thorgerson has said, "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? I use real elements in unreal ways. Is the man really on fire? Why would he just be standing there? Who put the beds on the beach? Why? Why is there a cow on the cover? It doesn’t have anything to do with the album, or does it? A boxer dog in designer boxer shorts on a beach."
The exhibition is a retrospective of Thorgerson’s art, the beauty of which is realized with maximum impact due to the spaciousness of the gallery in which it is being shown. In addition to the limited edition signed prints, the original stain glass window with the Dark Side of the Moon image is also featured as are the spheres that were designed specifically for last year’s Pink Floyd-themed exhibition in Paris. In fact, this is Thorgerson’s first public appearance and showing of his work since suffering a stroke shortly after that event, and despite his ill health, he has continued to create interesting images. In essence, Thorgerson is a character who demands nothing but the best in his work and in those who work alongside him. The results speak for themselves. (source)
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