Hipgnosis

British design studio Hipgnosis was founded in London in 1968 by two photo artists, Aubrey Powell and Storm Thorgerson.

Hipgnosis created some of the most innovative and surreal record cover art of the 1960s, 70s and 80s for many of the big name rock bands of the era including Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney, Yes, Genesis, 10cc, Peter Gabriel, Bad Company, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Scorpions, Styx, Syd Barrett and Black Sabbath. Hipgnosis were nominated five times for Grammy Awards.

I like their use of bold, saturated colours and considered compositions. The subjects, their stances and split second outtakes reminds me of the idea of the uncanny. I want to use Photoshop and post production techniques to my advantage to duplicate subjects and manipulate the colours.

Pink Floyd’s 1975 album cover for Wish You Were Here.

The back cover of the 1975 Pink Floyd classic, Wish You Were Here, an album which relentlessly critiques the music industry. It features a variation on the burning salesman featured on the front cover, depicting a faceless agent selling Pink Floyd products in the desert.

The red veil shot represented air within the inner sleeve. © Hipgnosis/Aubrey Powell/Harvest Records/Columbia Record

The square format version of the ‘splashless diver’ shot by Powell. Lake Mono, California

Pink Floyd, Atom Heart Mother. 1970. Design Hipgnosis – Aubrey Powell / Storm Thorgerson. Foto Storm Thorgerson. © Pink Floyd Music Ltd

The Creation, ‘66-‘67

Def Leppard’s second album High and Dry

Ian Dury, Reasons to be Cheerful

The Police, “De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da” single

Hot Chocolate, Every 1’s a Winner

Yumi Matsutoya, Voyager

The Nice, ‘Elegy’ (1971)

Genesis, ‘The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway’ (1974)

AC/DC, ‘Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap’ (1976)

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