Post by madoldlu on Nov 23, 2010 9:55:16 GMT -5
I think it's really interesting, and I'm looking forward to seeing it in person so that I can really look at it. It's hard to tell from the picture. Clunie Reid is a tough artist to really "get" unless you're into contemporary art - which I'm guessing that most Duranies are not. A lot of people are commenting how into style that Duran is, and this album artwork has no style to it. I don't agree at all. The band has always been about fashion, art AND style - and they don't follow the rules that anyone else has set. That's why they went with Clunie, and I think that alone speaks volumes.
Very well put, rhondar. I think the artwork is good. I completely get "fashion, art and style" from it. It's edgy and very contemporary. They've been in to this rough arty look for a good long while now, back to Decade and Burning the Ground. TWA, Thank You, Medazzaland, Pop Trash, and RCM all share a similar aesthetic--very high art/fashion. While Duran Duran (1981), Rio, SatRT, Notorious, Big Thing, Liberty and as recent as Greatest, all share a different look--more clean "design".
Now that I think about it, the two extremes seem to be art and design.
I found this to help define art and design:
Now, it is my understanding that design in the commercial sense is a very calculated and defined process; it is discussed amongst a group and implemented taking careful steps to make sure the objectives of the project are met. A designer is similar to an engineer in that respect and must not only have an eye for color and style but must adhere to very intricate functional details that will meet the objectives of the project. The word “design” lends itself to a hint that someone or something has carefully created this “thing” and much planning and thought has been executed to produce the imagery or materials used for the project.
On the other hand, art is something completely separate—any good artist should convey a message or inspire an emotion it doesn’t have to adhere to any specific rules, the artist is creating his own rules. Art is something that can elicit a single thought or feeling such as simplicity or strength, love or pain and the composition simply flows from the hand of the artist. The artist is free to express themselves in any medium and color scheme, using any number of methods to convey their message. No artist ever has to explain why they did something a certain way other than that this is what they felt would best portray the feeling or emotion or message.
Source:by Craig A Elimeliah www.aiga.org/content.cfm/art-vs-design
So the guys went with "art" this time. Now, I have always loved the design of the first 3 (and Arcadia) albums. I credit them with inspiring me to go into design as a profession. But I also went to art school to study painting and drawing, so I can appreciate the other side of the visual coin.
Clunie has a very distinct style, and even if one did not like that style, it doesn't mean that the work is any less valid. The work is well done. The fact that the guys chose Clunie means that they felt this person would best visualize their sound at this time. If that's what Duran wants to say with the artwork, then we have to accept it and see how it ultimately ties in with the music.
And I like rovostrov's interpretation:
it's a view of "conception"
on the left we have the egg being fertilized @ 1000X
and on the right @ 1X - but we're only able to see the bed because the action is going down on the left side...which as i said, is magnified 1000 times