• We have updated the guidelines regarding posting political content: please see the stickied thread on Website Issues.

Sleeve Art Discussion Site?

Frideswide

Fortea Morgana :) PeteByrdie certificated Princess
Joined
Jul 14, 2014
Messages
16,318
Location
An Eochair
This diversion in Minor Strangenessesesesessses

http://tiny.cc/nsstjx

The question is what is the artefact on the album cover of the Violent Femmes 1984 Hallowed Ground ?

I can find many sites to tell me about the album, but they don't seem to address the sleeve art.
 
The cover photograph was done by a Mark Trilling.

The figure was attributed to the Larry Whiteley Gallery in Los Angeles.

Whiteley was an art dealer in the LA area. He was known for buying the Possum Trot folk art dolls / sculptures created by Calvin Black and his wife Ruby ("Possum Trot Dolls") back in the 1970's (?).

Those dolls / sculptures had misshapen heads similar to the figure on the album cover. Most of the dolls were apparently displayed indoors at the Blacks' place ("Possum Trot") out in the desert, but some were displayed outdoors and were quite weathered.

I'm not claiming the figure on the album cover is definitely a head from one of the Possum Trot dolls. I can't find enough close-up images of the Possum Trot heads to really compare them.

If it's not, my guess would be it was some other folk art / outsider art creation Whiteley had acquired.
 
Blimey, that was quick!

Did you happen to know or did you find a source? both equally impressive.

Lots to move forward on for me, thank you thank you thank you! :D
 
If we're still on sleeve art.....

The_Afternoon_Tea_Baggers_Male_Quartet_Joy_Joy_zps4fd3e77f.jpeg
 
*hysterics*
 
Acknowledged without comment but with a mounting sense of horror! :shock:
 
Frideswide said:
Blimey, that was quick!
Did you happen to know or did you find a source? both equally impressive.
Lots to move forward on for me, thank you thank you thank you! :D

It only took some Googling to surface a citation of credit for the 'figure' on a music database site. Subsequent Googling on the gallery and then its principal Larry Whiteley surfaced reference to his focus on folk art and the Possum Trot dolls.

Hopefully Helpful Tip: The majority of album art references to be found online use the typically American phrasing 'cover art' rather than the typically UK phrasing 'sleeve art'. I've noticed this while searching for specimens by a particular artist.
 
EnolaGaia said:
The majority of album art references to be found online use the typically American phrasing 'cover art' rather than the typically UK phrasing 'sleeve art'.

That will be very useful and does explain why I wasn't getting anywhere :)
 
Make your own!
Here's the rules of the game......

How to Make Your Own Album Cover

1 – Go to “wikipedia.” Hit “random”
or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first random wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2 – Go to “Random quotations”
or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.

3 – Go to flickr and click on “explore the last seven days”
or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days
Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.




...here's one I did earlier.



It's amazing what pure chance turns up isn't it?
 
wow!

what did you use to combine them? and how do you post a picture? sorry, noobie questions.... :roll:
 
Frideswide said:
wow!

what did you use to combine them? and how do you post a picture? sorry, noobie questions.... :roll:


Gimp. Seriously. It's a free Photoshop-like app. I've Pm'd you more details.
No probs being a noob. We only know what we know and there's no harm in asking.
 
I tried the posted game rules, and this is what I got ...


WoS-AlbumCover.jpg
 
Here's my effort:

sings_like_hell.png
 
ramonmercado said:
Escherian.
Yes, like "Relativity" made real!

These invented album covers are great, so far, probably helped by the stunning photographs. I seem to recall that we played this game on the FTMB a few years ago, and it had legs, so I'm looking forward to seeing some more.
 
Another one I made:

thinkabout.png
 
Barneveld are one of my favourite bands and that is probably their best album, made before main man Vax Wildebeest died in a tragic gardening accident. They were never the same afterwards.
 
hunck said:
Barneveld are one of my favourite bands and that is probably their best album, made before main man Vax Wildebeest died in a tragic gardening accident. They were never the same afterwards.

The third song on the album - 'Debt to Caffeine' has 620 power chords in 37 seconds while moog man Omboosh brews tea. It's an awesome album that would have risen higher to chart success, had it not deafened most of its listeners.
 
Frideswide said:
This diversion in Minor Strangenessesesesessses

http://tiny.cc/nsstjx

The question is what is the artefact on the album cover of the Violent Femmes 1984 Hallowed Ground ?

I can find many sites to tell me about the album, but they don't seem to address the sleeve art.
Just posed the question at the Official VF Facebook page and included EnolaGaia's background info. Hopefully someone there can settle it.
 
Could be, Myth. There are what appear to be actual human teeth in the mouth of this item. I have for 30 years assumed it was a northern European carving from the ancient Celts or Vikings, but that seems unlikely now. Larger photos show technique that would probably not have been used thousands of years ago, but I could be wrong. Certainly has proven to be a conversation piece.
 
Hang on - how was this selfie achieved with 2 hands showing? Also what is the axe - Strat?

Ha!
Put my phone's camera on a 5 second delay and, well spotted - that is the neck of my Strat, rather than the Tele extending from the album art featuring a Gibson SG.
Anyone else fancy photographing some album covers against a real-life background?
 
Back
Top