Vinyl . Album . Cover . Art: The Complete Hipgnosis Catalogue

(Hardback)

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Description

The complete, definitive and never-before-published catalogue of Hipgnosis, Vinyl Album Cover Art finally does justice to the work of the most important design collective in music history, which, according to Roddy Bogawa, director of the documentary Taken by Storm (2011), 'designed half your record collection'.

Founded in 1967 by Storm Thorgerson, Aubrey 'Po' Powell and Peter Christopherson, Hipgnosis gained legendary status in graphic design, transforming the look of album art forever and winning five Grammy nominations for package design.

Their revolutionary cover art moved away from the conventional group shots favoured by record companies of the day, resulting in the ground-breaking, often surreal designs which define the albums of many of the biggest names in the history of popular music: 10cc, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Peter Gabriel, The Police, Genesis, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Paul McCartney, Robert Plant, Syd Barrett, Throbbing Gristle, T. Rex, Wings, Yes and XTC, to name but a few.

Arranged chronologically, Vinyl Album Cover Art features stunning reproductions of every single Hipgnosis cover - 372 in total - coupled with detailed information by Po and Storm Thorgerson on the artworks and the compelling stories behind their creation. Additional contributions by Peter Gabriel, Marcus Bradbury, and Pentagram's Harry Pearce provide engrossing insights into the way these incredible artworks came into being; place the covers in context; and reflect on their enduring impact on album design.

Reviews

'Beautifully crafted and presented everything you need to know abou this astonishing creative team' - The Afterword
'Beautifully produced stunning full-colour reproductions of every single cover' - Lancashire Evening Post
'A fun trip down memory lane' - FQ Magazine
'With their blend of surrealism, sex and suburban ennui, Hipgnosis defined album cover art in the prog-rock era' - Guardian
'Some of the most memorable record covers of the 60s, 70s and 80s' - PORT
'Thrillingly recalls those many happy hours spent flipping through album racks in record shops how endlessly inventive yet consistently dazzling Hipgnosis covers were' - The Spectator
'Anyone who has an interest in music, art or visual culture should pick up a copy of this book sublime' - .Cent Magazine
'Beautiful' - Amateur Photographer

Author Bio

Aubrey Powell co-founded the design agency Hipgnosis with the late Storm Thorgerson in 1967. In 1989, Powell was made creative director for The Paul McCartney World Tour, designing the stage set, video wall and filmed images. He is the creative director for Pink Floyd, with whom he is currently working on the forthcoming V&A exhibition 'Their Mortal Remains'.