© Storm Thorgerson

Storm Thorgerson. Two words, and a name, that might mean little to most people, even though they’ve had deeply emotional experiences to the images he has created for some of modern music’s most famous acts. His creations have graced releases by Pink Floyd, Muse, Led Zeppelin, Biffy Clyro, Genesis, Ween, AC/DC, Offspring, and 10cc amongst others – and Cape Town band Machineri. To fans, mention of his name, or that of his first company, Hipgnosis, is likely to trigger raptures about a specific album cover, and the imagery created by Thorgerson. This interview, for example, is being written on a computer just below a treasured possession – a near mint copy of Pink Floyd’s “Animals” signed by Thorgerson during a brief South African visit in 2006.

© Storm Thorgerson

© Storm Thorgerson

© Storm Thorgerson

In February, Thorgerson will hold an exhibition in Cape Town to coincide with the local launch of his new book, The Raging Storm, which is a catalogue of some of his more recent work. “It’s new stuff we’ve done in the last three years,” says Thorgerson by telephone from his London studio. “This time, we changed the format to landscape. I don’t like landscape books, normally, but a few of the recent pictures are gatefolds, or for the front and back of a digipack CD. I’m quite pleased with how it all turned out.”

Thorgerson is renowned for an almost laconic approach to talking about his work, and for often self-effacing answers. For one album cover, for example, he moved nearly 800 steel-frame beds onto a beach. For another, he conceived a multi-storey scaffolding contraption to release hundreds of red balls to bounce towards the key subject matter. He has created massive sculptures just to get one photograph taken, suspended people from ropes, dug trenches in fields and, of course, contracted stuntmen to be set alight – all to capture a real image that could have been created through digital or other manipulation. Of all this, he merely says that this is the way he works.

© Storm Thorgerson

In director Roddy Bogawa’s documentary Taken By Storm, there’s a telling moment where Pink Floyd co-founder David Gilmour furrows his brow over ‘the beds’ and says, ‘Storm is one of those people who feels you have to do things digitally, and not fake it up.’ In the same film, music legend Alan Parsons describes Thorgerson as ‘believing very strongly that a photograph needs to be a real image to be believable.’

For a recent Steve Miller cover, Thorgerson caused a huge guitar-shaped hole to be dug into verdant grass, with characters interacting with the water-filled shape. ‘It was very, very real to dig a hole like that with a digger,’ says Thorgerson, and then continues in characteristically wry manner. “It was fun, although I’m not sure how much I like now. I tend to have a different response to the work, depending on how long it has been since I have done it. I tend to have a rethink, or imagine other ways that I could do it. I wonder, ‘Was it worth it? Will that image stay the course?’ Steve Miller loved it, though, he was extremely complimentary about the image. Said something like, ‘I’ll have to write a song about that. Maybe I’ll start a new album for it’.”

© Storm Thorgerson

Despite his years in the business, though, Thorgerson still approaches each new project with a fresh eye and an eager mind. He is also still learning some hard felt lessons: like not relinquishing creative control. His website, StormThorgerson.com, currently opens with the new work for the commemorative re-issues of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon with the iconic prism artwork. Immediately following that, though, is something he describes as, ‘Not so enjoyable by a long stretch… For some inexplicable reason, inexplicable even to me, I agreed to provide an image and let them alter / retouch / composite as they wished.’ The result sees his image of two lovers suspended under water as “ghosts” of their pasts swim behind them being ‘done up’ with crudely added images of a coral reef and a whale.

‘It’s my own mistake,’ he says, and one can hear the teeth clenching across the Atlantic. ‘I don’t know why I agreed to that change – I just didn’t believe they could do something like that. ‘It won’t happen again,’ as they say. I absolutely hated it when I saw what they had done; I literally died on the spot, as it were. I was very unhappy, but I had agreed and couldn’t retract that, so what could I do. It’s too depressing to talk about anymore.”

Happily, there is a myriad of other topics to address. Not least being the images for the Pink Floyd re-issue, about which Thorgerson is much more pleased. ‘That one was interesting,’ he says.

I thought it turned out pretty well. I was not unhappy, as they say, with the result. We used an immersion and ink technique and, of course, there are lots of bits and pieces and stories to go on when we were coming up with the concept, so I enjoyed that. I don’t quite understand why the re-issue was done, of course, but I think we created something that the Floyd fans will like. (Storm Thorgerson)

© Storm Thorgerson

Thorgerson’s South African show follows his cover for Cape Town three-piece Machineri. ‘That cover worked out really well – you can’t always know how it will go. You have an idea, and you set out to do it – and then you keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best. Afterwards, it was suggested by their manager that maybe I should have a show there, and I liked the idea of getting away from the rotten weather here. The exhibition will be a mixture of old favourites which I can still bear to look at; some things from the ’70s and ’80s and some very recent stuff, like Machineri. I’m very happy to show that.’

————-

Source: What’s On , Photos courtesy of Storm Thorgerson.

Words: Evan Milton

Interview first published: in the Cape Argus “Good Weekend” of 2012/ 01/29.

*) Taken By Storm, the 2011 feature length documentary featuring Robert Plant, Peter Gabriel, members of Muse, The Cranberries, 10cc, Biffy Clyro and more, runs from Wednesday 22 to Friday 24 February at the venue at 8pm, followed by a Q&A with the artist (booking is essential on 082 455 3447; tickets R80 or R60 for students).

*) Machineri perform live on Saturday 25 February at 10pm (R40).

This interview first appeared in the Cape Argus “Good Weekend” of 2012/ 01/29.

Issue 24 of one small seed asks you to ‘Listen to my Colour and Look at my Sound’. Music, motion, words and colour – looking beyond the obvious, our latest issue brings a union of the senses. To follow is an all-inclusive preview of the new issue: a full breakdown of content that resonates with inspiration. Hold on tight…

The human story is told in the language of pop culture. Coca Cola designed Santa Claus and Hugo Boss the uniforms for the Order of the Death’s Head. Jimi played The Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock and the Devil went down to Georgia. David Byrne wore a big suit and Princess Leia that bikini. We couldn’t handle the truth, needed a bigger boat and loved the smell of napalm in the morning. Assorted male models shot JFK, RFK and JR, then Biggy Smalls, Tupac and the Sheriff. And something made Andy Warhol’s Marilyns smile. Maybe it was the hand up the Mona Lisa’s skirt. (Gustav Swart)

This issue’s theme of ‘Listen to my Colour and Look at my Sound’ led us to some odd doors as we sought artists that bridged the divide between the visual and the aural.  An interview with legendary album artist Storm Thorgerson – referred to some as the 6^th member of Pink Floyd – allowed us to revisit the aesthetics of the ’70s, while 21^st Century poster designer Dan Khulken tells us about making posters for bands like Black Keys and The National. Issue 24 is a 30 000-plus words visual explosion, and one such visually exploding artist we spoke to is the infamous Gonzo illustrator and Hunter S Thompson’s partner-in-grime, Ralph Steadman. Another artist that tore through the ’70s and still doing what he does best is Horace Panter – the bass player of The Specials. In this issue, Panter gives us a candid account of his life in music and his life as an artist, from playing with The Clash to his time working as a white van man, he shares memories of his life on a road less traveled.

Our fashion spread this issue comes direct from Tokyo, Japan. Creating a 3D-like effect, reminiscent of Nintendo games and early Star Wars films, Japanese designer Kunihiko Morinaga created his Low Resolution collection around the 8-bit inspired colorful square blocks. Mari Sarai’s lewd black and white nudes feature as this issue’s photography section, her subjects including celebs like Gavin Rossdale’s daughter Daisy Lowe and model Janice Dickinson. We have a feast for the ears in the form of interviews with Kenya’s globe conquering Just a Band and the revolutionary American poet Abiodun Oyewole – the man who robbed the KKK and worked with legendary Jazz musician Gil Scott-Heron on his famous song ‘The Revolution will not be Televised’.

Ever tasted the letter ‘f’? Or smelled the colour blue? Well, some people have! One of our main features this issue is on Synesthesia – the condition that lets people see sound as colour – and trace its path through the methods and madness of some of the brightest stars in the human firmament. Click HERE for a preview of the feature. On the local frontier, we sit down with singer/song writer/actress Sannie Fox, electronic trio Digital Rockit and all four members from Cape Town band iScreamStix. Olmeca Editión Black Tequila joins us in showcasing electronic DJs/Producers, with this issue bringing Blush n Bass and Felix Laband to the party.  We watched architecture dance slowly to visible music in our architecture feature, looking at structures like The Sum of Days, NY; Stillspotting, NY; the Jewish Museum, Berlin; Jetty Square and more.

Ending with the beginning, our cover for Issue 24 is devoted to one of the street artist/videographer Mr Brainwash’s tongue-in-cheek creations. This issue features a six-page interview with the artist, who talked to us from his L.A. home about money, art and Andy Warhol. Showcasing at 34FineArt Gallery in Woodstock, Cape Town is an exclusive selection of Mr Brainwash’s latest artwork, including issue 24’s ‘Madonna’ silk screen on paper with spray paint.

Right, without further ado… Here’s the breakdown for Issue 24 “Listen to my Colour and Look at my Sound”.

FEATURES

American Civil Rights Icon

Abiodun Oyewole: Grand, High Wizard

Founder member of The Last Poets talks about verse, Gil Scott-Heron and robbing the KKK. Click HERE to read our blog ‘The Revolution will not be Televised’ and find out more about the legendary Gil Scott-Heron: a spoken word poet, jazz genius and close friend to Abiodun Oyewole.

Defiant Photographer

Mari Sarai’s Girls on Film

Black-and-white nudes that stare right back and you and challenge the Gaze. Check out a video interview we found with Mari Sarai by visiting onesmallseed.tv HERE.

Aural architecture

Echo Chamber: The Sound of Space

Our investigation of sound and concrete spans the globe and classic art movies. First we took Manhattan, then we took Berlin. Click HERE and visit onesmallseed.tv to watch the video titled Berlin: Die Sinfonie der GroBstadt, which showcases a selection of abstract visual content that portrays the ‘life’ of a city.

Cape Town-based breakout band

iScreamStix: It ain’t Sorbet

A big scoop of local talent

Kenyan Globetrotters

Just an Interview with Just a Band

Meet the voice of East Africa’s ‘superhero’ Makmande. He may not exist but he sure kicks ass

Cross-sensory Exploration

Neuromagic: The Harmony of Synesthesia

We dive into the magical world inhabited by synesthetes: individuals who see, hear, feel, smell and even taste colour. Such people include legends of our time, like Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd, Marilyn Monroe and Vladimir Nabokov to name a few. Click HERE for a preview of the feature and then visit one small seed TV to see a video about this unique condition

Genre-busting rocker

Sannie Fox: Rage with the Machine

This star of stage and screen proves that you don’t have to be a fatbottomed girl to make the rocking world go round.

Gonzo illustrator

Ralph Steadman: Another Freak in the Freak Kingdom

We can’t stop here. It’s bat country

Controversial Pop Artist

Mr Brainwash: Laughing all the Way to the Banksy

We got a call from the man who calls himself ‘Banksy’s biggest piece of art’. We’ve uploaded a snippet of the interview featured in the magazine, simply click HERE and see if you can make out who Mr Brainwash really is…

Jozi Beats

Digital Rockit: The Neon Gods they Made

Local veterans of the electronic scene look forward and back

Classic Album Art

Storm Thorgerson: Dark Side of the Tunes

We get under the covers with the man who designed for bands like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Muse and machineri.

Troubadour’s Poster Boy

Dan Kuhlken: Dreaming of Electric Sheep

The National, The Black Keys, Red Hot Chilli Peppers… just some of the bands that LA-based design team DKNG have worked for

Musical contrasts

eleKTRONIK Dialogues

A new department brought to you in conjunction with Olmeca Editión Black Tequila dedicated to showcasing the best and brightest musical talent.

Ska rocker and painter

Horace Panter: If Music is your Special Thing

The bass player of The Specials went from fame to obscurity and back again

Avant-garde Fashion

Kunihiko Morinaga: Pretty in Pixels

Chic couture meets the chunky pixels of 8-bit arcade games on the catwalk. Check out our interview with Morinaga in the latest issue, and if you’re thirsty for more information on pixel fashion then check out our blog HERE.

DEPARTMENTS

IN STORE

Products for your eyes, hands, and mind…

BOOK REVIEWS

Get the critique on books that will read you.

SELECTED CREATIVES

We reveal the winners for Selected Creatives 06, a showcase of the very best uploaded to onesmallseed.net. Click HERE to check out who made the cut, voted by you on the one small seed network.

FILM REVIEWS

This issue we check out Mike Cahill’s Another Earth; Clint Eastwood’s J. Edgar, Martin Scorsese’s Hugo, Tarsem Singh’s Immortals, Lars von Trier’s Melancholia and Paula Van der Oest’s Black Butterflies.

MUSIC REVIEWS

We dissect the beats that are supposed to move your feet.

NOW SHOWING

Issue 24 showcases some of the most gripping videos we found in 2011, including Influencers; Jeff Staple; Earth time-lapse view from Space; Press Pause Play; Morpho Towers: Two Standing Spirals; Brain Eno’s Imaginary Landscapes and Berlin Die Sinfonie Der Grosstadt, a fascinating video that sheds light on the discourse of aural architecture. Click HERE to watch these awesome videos.

THE LAST WORD

We leave this to South African writer duo Headline Payoff and illustration by Mark Venter.