ANALYSES
This piece is the record cover for The Makers self-titled third album, designed in 1996 by Tacoma, Washington based Art Chantry. Chantry has done quite a bit of work for other Estrus Records groups, as well as for many other garage rock labels and bands. The cover of The Makers’ Self-Titled album is fairly simple, showing a distressed, xeroxed image of a hand protruding its middle finger, and distressed text wrapping around the hands’ knuckles. Speaking of the iconic image, Chantry says “In the entire history of rock and roll, no one has ever done this” (Lasky). This image has a direct relationship with the aggressive nature of the band and their music. “The acknowledgements on the back, featuring several styles of old press type (as one ran out, Chantry filled in with another), conclude with a reference to ‘all the clubs that ripped us off and/or kicked us out’” (Lasky). Historically, the image references early xeroxed punk rock flyers. This is one of the staples of Chantry’s work. This two dimensional art would have been displayed in three sizes: cassette, cd, and vinyl.
4
The music on the album is high-energy punk garage rock and roll. It is fast, raw, and angry. The drums pound primitively, the guitars buzz, and the vocals are some of the snottiest ever heard. Songs such as “Do What I Wanna,” “Waste of Flesh,” “Angry Young Man,” and “I’m Not A Social Kind of Guy” set the tone for an album all about discontent. This is about as simple, raw, and brilliant as garage rock gets. Most of the songs are under two minutes. It’s three chord punk rock but with a 1960s musical tone. For the Self-Titled cover, Chantry worked in black and white. The contrast is extremely high, ranging from washed out whites to complete black. This is fairly characteristic of Chantry’s work and garage rock design in general. The background is a gradated white and gray which causes the very dark image to pop off the page. The type is in black on white, creating a strong hierarchy. The black and white photocopy style references the primitive, raw, simple nature of the music. Color is not used realistically in this work; it is a human hand rendered in black and white to give it a vintage feel.
5
6
Placing the strong, dark image right in the center of the composition and having it fill most of the page, gives the hand monumental scale. Because of this placement, the hand and finger become bold and powerful. The strong horizontal of the finger creates great movement from the bottom of the page up to the top. The distressed look of the imagery and type connotes the raw, angry, punk, DIY nature of the music. There is some dimension to the imagery, as it is photocopied from a photo-realistic drawing.
There is only one dominant form in this piece and it is well balanced. It sits directly in the center of the page, and makes its way from the bottom to the top with monumental force. It is a hand extending its middle finger yet it commands the power of a sky scraper or an immense statue. It is a simple yet powerful composition.
into the The type is integrated ing one with image, almost becom ple strength it. This adds to the sim t any of the piece, leaving ou sary design extraneous or unneces discernible elements. There are no countless patterns other than the xeroxed dots that make up the e text creates image of the hand. Th s a path movement as it follow knuckles. created by the hand’s age used is by Proportionally, the im on the page, far the largest element cover. The as it fills up most of the the hierarsame can be said for minated chy, which is clearly do me of the by the image. The na ly text, almost band, which is the on ught. appears as an aftertho
9
These details make sense as
Chantry is being quite cle ar about what the main message is here. The message is not the name of the band, or the name of the album (of wh ich there is none). The den otative message is “Fuck You� and it is presen ted loud and clear. The con notative implications of using such an image inc lude anger, rebelliousnes s, and dissatisfaction. Within a subculture such as punk rock, it can also be see n as a sign of snarky affection. Friends ma y use this action as a greetin g or to express approval. Further investiga tion into this band and the ir attitude indicate that they are using it in an angry context. For these rea sons, this is an extremely appropriate and successful design. This ang ry message completely encapsulates the the mes found within the album ’s lyrics, as well as the vitriolic nature of the mu sic itself.
10
The only text in this piece is the name of the band following the contours of the hand’s knuckles. The type is broken and distressed, and is most likely made up of more than one condensed typeface. Like the image, the type references a popular garage and punk aesthetic with its slashed forms and unconventional baseline. The strongest cultural reference this piece has is to the source from which it was appropriated. The image of the extended middle finger comes from an April 1974 issue of the magazine Mad. Mad is an influential satirical magazine founded in the early 1950s by Harvey Kurtzman and William Gaines. Mad is exactly the kind of pop cultural artifact beloved by many artists within this genre. Art Chantry has made the image his own, however, by rendering it in black and white and through his patented style of repeated xeroxing. Through this manipulation, the image retains its original message, but is viewed through a punk and garage rock lens.
11
12
The purpose of having such an aggressive message on an album cover is to let the consumer know what to expect upon first listen. At this point in their existence, the Makers were famous for staying true to their “fuck you” message. If they had a problem with you, they wouldn’t hesitate to let you know. There are many accounts of live shows where this was proven true. Although the primary message of the middle finger tends to be based in anger, it can also be indicative of a raucous good time. There is a certain tongue-in-cheek quality to Art Chantry’s design here. It is for this reason that this piece fits perfectly with the Makers. While the lyrics may speak of pain and dissatisfaction, the music itself delivers a high-energy rock n’’ roll good time. This is a fun record. The angry yet playful voice that Chantry invokes here is the perfect match for the music.
13
15
This piece is a record cover for the Teengenerate single “Out of Sight/Pushin Me Around,” released in 1995 on Rip Off Records. The audience for such a work would be fans of lo-fi, trashy garage punk music. The designer of this cover is Masao Nakagami and the aesthetic used is in keeping with most of the Rip Off Records catalog. The covers tended to stick to cut-andpaste, xeroxed design which created a fairly strong brand for their label. Teengenerate was a garage punk band from Tokyo, Japan, playing between the years 1993 and 1996. They are famous for having a recorded sound that is, at times, nearly incomprehensible. It is fast, fuzzy, overdriven, and the lyrics, sung in English, are difficult to make out. Possibly more than any other garage rock band of the time, Teengenerate sounds like a wall of noise. The music has a great sense of humor, with tongue-in-cheek songs like “Hey Baby,” “Wild Weekend,” and “Gonna Feel Alright.” Teengenerate is pure, raw, aggressive garage rock and roll music.
16
In keeping w ith Teengene rate’s music, the design of raucous, and this cover is bl loud. That be unt, ing said, it is fairly harmon wild and unhi ious. The subj nged, but it is ect is pretty well as ymmetrically order among balanced. Th chaos. It was ere is made by taki ng a black an and increasing d white photog the contrast un raph til the grays di background sa pp ea r, leaving only and bright w a black hite objects. Th ese objects ar make for a co e numerous an mplex yet visu d ally organize d compositio but once the n. It takes a m eyes adjust, on oment, e can make ou musicians ho t a live stage lding guitars setting with tw , two microph o ones, the glar possibly part e of a spotlight of a PA system , and . The type is tr other objects, eated in the sa with black type me way as th e inside of a ro it is a represen ugh-edged w hite box. Alth tational phot ough ograph, the w ashed out qu gives it an ab ality of the im stract feel. It age is this aspect that gives it a Other than w semi-chaotic ithin the type look. , there are no discernible pa tterns and th e white
om until you see space appears rand aph. The image of that it is a photogr es up the entire the photograph tak o a thin white cover and bleeds int e is relegated border while the typ ter of the comto the bottom quar nant elements position. The domi t immediately of this piece are no cause many of obvious. This is be a similar value the elements share st area of and scale. The large guitar and white, however, is the on the left, legs of the musician idate for focal and is a prime cand focal point is the point. However, the electric letters typography, with its l presence. and active diagona
18
The elements in this piece relate to the content of the record on a couple of different levels. On a literal level, the composition is a photograph of the band playing a live show. On a conceptual level, the wild, abstract nature of the white objects on black background mirror the simple yet loud and chaotic nature of Teengenerate’s music. The successful message being conveyed by this record cover is that the music is going to be raw, straight-forward, exuberant rock and roll. The primary elements conveying this piece’s message are the photographic image of the band playing a live show and the display type at the bottom. On a denotative level, this work shows what the band looks like when they play live. On a connotative level, the work displays all the implications of being in, or being a fan of, a raw, wild garage punk band. To name a few, this might include energy, primitiveness, leather, intoxication, loud volumes, and sweat. These messages are fairly unambiguous. Even though the contrast of the photo is raised to the point of almost making it abstract, it is still obvious that it is a band energetically playing music.
20
There is no appa
rent symbolism
at work within th is piece. It is a sim ple cover meant to ge t the message ac ross. In its early Rip Off Records days, had a unifying, black and white aesthetic to all of releases. There its is always a phot o of the band, th e name of the ba sometimes the tit nd , and le of the record. That was it. Mos t of the 7-inches contained music released on only one side in keeping with the simple, low-bu theme. This calcu dget lated aesthetic im plied that there was no time or m to be wasted on oney fancy art. These decisions added up to a brilliant branding. Everyo pi ec ne knew what th e of ey were getting when they picked iconic Rip Off re up an lease. and blunt record
21
simple, it Although the design is x through becomes more comple mentioned photo manipulation. As s been raised earlier, the contrast ha e that the to such a high degre uced to white objects shown are red ly two values shapes. There are on d white, light represented, black an extent this and shadow. To some how this adds a second layer to On the one image can be viewed. ive photohand it is a representat nd, it has graph. On the other ha ed abstract become a well-balanc xeroxing work of art. As with the Chantry process used in the Art adds to the piece, this technique ther solidifyprimitive, raw feel, fur ge. ing the overall messa
22
The text at the bottom is the band’s name, Teengenerate. In this context it has a handmade feel, but it is most likely an early digital display font. The type is made up of lightning bolts and connotes power, energy, light, and electricity. This is a clear parallel to the type of high-energy, electric music the band is known for. The text fits in well with the composition. It is confined to a box, but the box is rendered as a ripped piece of paper, again implying that the energy was high, and time and funds were limited. It’s as if the designer ripped a piece off of a beer soaked set list, applied the name of the band to it, and slapped it on the record cover. A viewing of the composition makes it clear that time and thought was put into it, but the message of “do it yourself” spontaneity is successful.
23
The purpose of this message is to inform the consumer that this is a Rip Off Records garage punk release of short, fast rock and roll music. The voice the designer invokes is one of frantic hyper-activity.
The message is shouted at us, “TEENGENERATE!” which in this case can be interpreted as “FAST! LOUD! PRIMITIVE! RAW!” Message received, loud and clear.
24
r that was This piece is a poste The Great created to promote k, a benefit Chicago Fire Shoc at the Empty garage rock show Illinois. On Bottle in Chicago, 16, 1997, Estrus Thursday, January , Washington, Records’ Bellingham stroyed in a fire. warehouse was de chives, its entire The label lost its ar y, some band mail order inventor el owner Dave equipment, and lab ord collection Crider’s personal rec er of benefit (Kaufman). A numb the ensuing shows took place in ay as Tokyo and months “as far aw gham, Seattle, as close by as Bellin go” (Emery). St. Louis and Chica close to $20,000 These shows raised s back in workand helped put Estru that this poster ing order. The show place on March 1, was made for took a half after the about a month and s designed and warehouse fire. It wa Wald, a designer illustrated by Alex out of Chicago. and artist working
26
Wald would have been emotionally invested in this project as he had history working with Estrus designing record covers and other pieces. This poster would have been seen on the walls of the Empty Bottle, the windows of local record stores, and on street poles and other similarly visible public spaces. Most of the bands playing that night were fast, loud garage punk bands, but a few strayed from such a categorization. The Crown Royals were a soul band, and the Volcanos were an instrumental surf rock band. The primary audience for this poster would have been limited to fans of garage, surf, and soul. A secondary audience would be fans of rock posters and rock art.
27
Wald used a harmonious color palette for this piece consisting of fiery yellows, oranges, and reds along with two bold uses of purplish blue. The similar values of those colors are complemented by a liberal use of off-whites and pure black. As seen in Wald’s Estrus Quarterly, Galaxy Trio, and Sugar Shack covers, he does not stray from bold colors. In this respect, The Fire Shock poster is fairly typical of his work. One aspect that makes it a bit atypical is the limited color palette. Most of Wald’s pieces showcase an expansive range of colors while this piece sticks to warm colors complemented by the one cool color.
28
The colors used are fairly equal in terms of proportion, except for the purplish blue which is found only on the cow and the woman’s bonnet. The background of the piece consists of black, and a deep red orange, which work well in contrasting the off-whites and lighter oranges used in the foreground. The warm palette represents fire and has a direct correlation to the message and concept of the poster. Because the warm colors are indicative of fire, they have a natural quality to them while the purplish blue of the cow is not natural.
29
Color is applied to type using the warm oranges, reds, and off-whites. The title of the event, “The Great Chicago Fire Shock,” is off-white and yellow-orange, allowing it to pop from the dark orange and black background. The description, the name of the venue, and the location are in a deep red so as to pop from the light yellows and off-whites of the fire balls. The date and time is a rich orange on black at the bottom of the poster. Both the imagery and the type employ the same palette of colors. In certain areas, the color is applied in such a way as to create movement. At the top of the poster, orange flames shoot upward and off the page creating excitement. Within the words “Fire Shock” and the two flanking fire balls, light orange yellow begins from the bottom and disintegrates upwards into small round dots, like sparks do from the tips of flames. Also on these items, black and dark red are used to create a drop shadow, causing them to jump from the page. This use of pattern and shadow adds drama and action to the objects. The palette of colors
30
is fairly simple, but used in a thoughtful and complex manner. The colors that Wald chose were appropriate on a couple of levels. For one, they playfully illustrate the idea that this is a benefit to raise funds to aid in the loss that resulted from a tragic fire. On another level, the concept of fire and the colors that accompany it are synonymous with garage rock and its design. This dates back to 1950s hotrod culture and the bright orange flames that were painted on the sides of cars.
31
The poster is composed in a symmetrical manner and is perfectly harmonious. Every element is deliberately organized and the forms are well balanced. It is a fairly simple hierarchical system in which the title is large at the top and the rest of the information is listed below on the right and left. While well organized, the composition is complex with quite a bit of visual information in it. On the top level, there is the typography, the fireball text boxes that hold some of the type, and the illustration of a woman riding a cow. On a lower, more subtle level, there are small figures, a car, and two cross-hatched architectural structures. The focal point is the type “The Great Chicago Fireshock,� which is appropriate as this is the most important piece of information.
32
size as d by color, shading, and object Contrast in the piece is achieve falls not one was used, the composition well as placement. Whether or The lining up in a columnar fashion. into a grid, with all of the objects eleit seems unnecessary. All of the composition is busy, but none of tional the common goals, both informa ments work together in achieving and conceptual. text, the poster’s message are the top The primary elements conveying level, the riding the bull. On a denotative the flames, the bull, and the girl level, e of the event. On a connotative words “Fire Shock” refer to the nam rs represent heat, danger, rock and the flames that make up these lette the Estrus tioned earlier, they also refer to roll, and hot rod culture. As men to tion-specific, historical reference warehouse fire. There is also a loca is ck” Sho event. “The Great Chicago Fire the flames and the name of the , after o Fire of 1871. On October 8, 1871 a reference to The Great Chicag
33
a dry summer, a fire broke out in the barn of Patrick and Catherine ed O’Leary. The fire spread and end up killing at least 300 people, s, leaving 100,000 people homeles th and destroying $200 million wor
of property. “The fire was one of the most spectacular events of the gnineteenth century, and it is reco nized as a major milestone in the
city ’s history” (Chicago Historical Society). The bull is a reference to the rumor that it was an O’Leary
cow that knocked over a lamp and The started the Great Chicago Fire. girl riding the bull has no direct correlation with either of the two fires referenced, but she adds fun,
excitement, and sex appeal. All of the imagery seen on the poster is illustrated in a representational manner. Like most of Alex Wald’s work, the illustration is done in a
classic comic book style, adding re to the fun, tongue-in-cheek natu of the piece.
34
Wald had the following to say about this poster: Naturally the Great Chicago Fire sparked the idea and fanned the flame. My feeling is that locals would connect with the famous historic event more quickly than “a fire in some warehouse in Bellingham, Washington.” Besides, it offered me the opportunity to draw a Greate Horned Beaste, in this case, a kaiju-sized bovine meant to evoke the mythical Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow. My cattle-character also projects Incendiary Magma Rays from its eyes, further alluding to apocalyptic kaiju imagery. The Mammoth Milkmaid astride the rampaging beast was, in part, influenced by Al Capp’s (and more importantly, Capp’s ghost artist Frank Frazetta) character Moonbeam McSwine—a child of nature with a smoldering sensuality, a free spirit more comfortable in the company of beasts rather than men. The style of representation of the Milkmaid’s face is as much like Moonbeam as I’d allow myself; her corncob pipe is another direct reference to Capp’s character. Perhaps the hapless cow of 1871 was merely a scapegoat after all—the fire might more likely have been caused by a careless smoker,
35
a midnight toker. All these notions came rushing at me very quickly and I produced the first rough shortly after hanging up with Dave (Wald). The type and imagery work together in displaying the message. For instance, the two fireballs flanking the sides of the poster act as text boxes within which the type is tightly placed. This has the type acting not just as an informational element but as a coloring agent for the fireballs. To add to this dynamism, the names of each of the eight bands have been rendered in separate, unique, hand drawn typefaces. Some are “fiery� and others are not, but they all speak within the garage rock vernacular, and together they work in adding some extra flavor. This poster is successful on all of its levels. It works as a whimsical homage to the Great Chicago Fire. It works as a loving nod to the Estrus warehouse fire. Most importantly, it works as a big, bold, colorful garage rock poster intended to lure fans and raise money for a good cause.
36
This piece is a record cover for the King Tuff album entitled Was Dead. There is no specific date for the artwork. However, the album was first released in 2003, and it is likely that the cover was designed the same year. Initially the album was released on cassette in a very limited run, but due to popular demand, Burger Records re-released it in 2008. It is currently available in three formats: cassette tape, cd, and vinyl. This means that the artwork can be seen in three corresponding sizes: 4” by 2.6”, 4.7” by 4.7”, and 12” by 12”. The primary audience for such a piece would be fans of psychedelic garage rock or fans of garage rock-related artwork. The designer is a Vermont artist named Luke Thomas, the brother of the musician King Tuff whose real name is Kyle Thomas. Luke Thomas had the following to say about designing this work: We’ve been collaborating on art since we were teenagers. We had a punk band and I’d do the covers and stuff. Kyle would always call me up and be like, “I need some art and I need it in like two days.” I’d be like, “Oh fuck.” With the Was Dead cover, he’d come up with the concept and I’d execute it—him peeking over the letters in this mischievous, iconic way. It’s really fitting of his persona. When we had it issued on vinyl, the people at the printing press told the label they were all getting migraines from the fluorescent colors all around. There were delays because of that. Mission accomplished (Bevan).
38
on ribes, the image As Thomas desc ng Tuff, rendered the cover is of Ki y trasted photocop in a heavily-con er the letters style, peeking ov n rs are hand draw “TUFF.” The lette ey tric manner. Th in an active, elec ht be represenlook like they mig htning bolts. The tative of fire or lig the psychedelic design references s the 1960s and ‘70 art and op art of e contemporary mixed with a mor .
comic book style
The music found on Was Dea d is a modern, updated tak e on 1960s garage psychedelia with traces of T-Rex style ‘70s glam, Ner ves style ‘80s power pop, and classic heavy me tal. Fuzzy guitars, echo-la den vocals, and trippy keyboards interact to create a fun, yet surreal, atmosp here. It is raw, boisterous, alive, and unrelentin g. It’s basically a party alb um in the way that The Kingsmen’s “Louie Lou ie” is. The lyrics tend to stic k to classic rock and roll cliches such as dancin g, trouble with girls, and you thful angst. There is a limited two-color palette used on this cover, consisting of a fluorescent blue and a fluo rescent coral pink. Togeth er these colors are discordant and cause qui te a bit of vibration. They have almost the same value. The blue is used for the background, and the coral is used for all of the typography and imager y. The color is solid and flat , with no gradation. There is a drop shadow on the lettering created by usi ng thin lines of the coral color. Thomas’ use of clashing fluorescent colors adds to the psychedelic op art look of it. The se choices give the piece an unnatural look, common to subcultures ste eped in drug culture.
Using such a limited, flat palette results in a strong, bold design. The combination of using a vibrating color for the text, and having the type be hand drawn in a highly anxious manner, creates a startling effect. Overall, like most artwork within this genre, this piece could be described as LOUD. The music is loud, colorful, and offbeat, and Kyle Thomas’ color choice fits it perfectly. The composition for the Was Dead cover is well-balanced and symmetrical, as every element is completely centered. It is a simple design, with large hand-drawn display text taking up most of the space and one large, distressed image placed directly center. It is an orderly and systematic design, with a chaotic element being added by the use of vibrating colors. There is a sense of pattern created through the nature of the display text, which is made up of many flame-like points. There is nothing random about the placement of the elements and every object shares an almost equal space. The word “King,” the word “Tuff,” and the image of the head are a similar size and take up as much space as the background.
41
Artwork associated with the garage rock scene is not known for minimalism. In fact, many of the artists embrace horror vacui, in which the entire surface of a space is filled with artwork. Having the elements as large as possible is in keeping with the aesthetic of garage rock, a style of music not known for its subtlety. This record cover is a prime example of that. The dominant element of the Was Dead cover is the image of the human head. The hair and glasses of this image make up the largest mass of pink and it pops off the page. The “King Tuff� text is secondary since, even though it’s as large as the image, it is not filled in with the pink, and therefore sinks into the background. There is a lack of contrast in this composition but it is intentional. Both colors used are the same value, and everything is the same size.
43
These are fairly rebellious decisions which go hand in hand with the subculture. If a grid were used, it is simple since the grouped content is centered and takes up the entire piece. The jagged pattern created by the type connotes the kind of action heard in this album. This is also the case with the psychedelic spirals used as eyes in the image.
44
its have equal footing in conveying All of this composition’s elements surive level, it shows part of a head primary message. On a denotat retro The figure appears to be wearing rounded by large display type. lines. ular circ n� and contain swirling x-ray glasses that read “x-ray visio The head a sense of psychedelic mystery. On a connotative level, it gives uristic facing the viewer, giving it a voye is partly hidden, and the eyes are to ing ing inside of the viewer, attempt quality. It is as if the eyes are look and adds reminiscent of fire or electricity hypnotize him or her. The type is r palette. present due to the vibrating colo to the vibration theme, already a whole piece a youthful energy. As The hand-made quality gives the seems iguous. Upon first glance it simply whole, the message is fairly amb ord n, the sense of unease and disc fun. But upon further investigatio becomes more apparent.
45
The handwritten tex
books, psychedelia
t contains the name
of the artist. It refer
ences comic culture. The second ary text which reads “x-ray vision ” is obscured throu gh the reproductio n process, making the origina l typeface unknow n. Confusingly, “x-ra y vision” is not the name of the album. The name of the album—Wa s Dead—is not shown on the cove r. The simple image of the head peeking over the letters is mo a reference to “Kilr st likely oy was here,” an ex pression and imag e popularized during World War II in which a large -nosed cartoon he ad is seen peeking over a wall. This is further indicated by the name of the alb um (King Tuff) Was Dead. Why the artist would make such a reference is unknown. The unnaturally colorful image has an illustr ative, cartoon quali actually a heavily ty but it is contrasted photogr aph of King Tuff. Th is method of contrasting an imag e until only the bla cks and whites rema popularized durin in was g the earliest days of punk rock when poor quality photocopies were made by broke, ine xperienced teenage rs, and the poor and erratic re sults were embrac ed. , and garage rock
The text and image have fairly equal hierarchy. They are about the same size and work together in creating a unified impact. In fact, the image and typography are connected and create one large, centered object. The word “Tuff” serves as the wall that the head is peeking over, and the word “King” is overlapped by the head. The joining of these elements is natural and well done. There is no strong focus to this piece’s message. It is meant to be a visual representation of King Tuff, his attitude, and the music contained within. The voice seen in this piece is fun, quirky, and unexpected. It contrasts unbridled fun with a mysterious uneasiness. Overall, the bold, hand-made composition with its wild color creates action, vibration, and a mischevious playfulness, completely in sync with the sounds contained within.
47
48