Album Cover Hall of Fame’s Breaking News Update for Valentine’s Day weekend, 2021
Posted 2/12/2021 by Mike Goldstein, Album Cover Hall of Fame.com
My gift to you – a special mid-month Valentine’s Day weekend update – some things just can’t wait! Here are some timely examples that represent my efforts to show my readers just how much their happiness means to me:
a) To follow up on one of the items included in my last monthly news update, I’d like to share some info on the film that Kevin Hosmann recently completed that will be an important addition to record album history. Called The Album, the documentary looks at the history of recorded music “from the perspective of the art department” (some of our favorite people!). The interview-packed production features interviews with – and stories told by – some of the music industry’s best known art directors, designers and photographers, and so while Kevin continues his work to find a distributor for his film, he has set up an Instagram site that you can visit at https://www.instagram.com/thealbumdocumentary/
On this page, you’ll find a link to a trailer (2:25 running time) for the film (hosted on the Vimeo site), along with individual items on some of the covers and people featured in the film. Please join me in supporting Kevin in his efforts to bring his film to the masses and, in the meantime, learn more about his work on his new Instagram page.
b) To help celebrate Black History month, writer Panama Jackson, Senior Editor for the “Very Smart Brothas” section on The Root website, has previously created several month-long series on themes including “28 Days of Literary Blackness” (2019), “30 Days of Musical Blackness” (also in 2019) and, last year, “30 Days of Music Video Blackness”. This year, a topic was chosen that is near and dear to our hearts here at the ACHOF, that being “28 Days of Album Cover Blackness” in which, during the entire month of February, each day’s column will highlight “album covers that represent Blackness in some form or fashion”. Kicking off with Al Green’s I’m Still In Love With You (released in 1972 and ranked #286 on Rolling Stone Magazine’s 2012 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list) which, if you’ll recall, features the singer sitting on an all-white wicker throne (with matching side table) and wearing an all-white suit (adding black socks which, according to the writer, “keep the G in it”).
Rev. Green recalled, in his 2000 autobiography, Take Me to the River, “In my white turtleneck, white patent leather shoes with the stacked heels and just a touch of diamond and gold, I was as cool and in control as the music between that cover.”
To begin the journey at the top of the month (be sure to check back each day for the next in the series), click here https://verysmartbrothas.theroot.com/28-days-of-album-cover-blackness-with-vsb-day-1-al-gr-1846161026
c) A double-sided acrylic painting on Plexiglas by artist Raymond Pettibon – a 2020 inductee into the ACHOF in the Illustrator category and well-known for his work on album covers for Black Flag, Sonic Youth, Foo Fighters and others – will be offered in a Post-War and Contemporary Sale taking place at Bonham’s outpost in Los Angeles on February 19, 2021…The lot on offer – No Title (Surfer in the Great Wave) – was created in 1993 and is, according to the info on the auction company’s web site, “rare for the artist, both in medium and execution. Absolutely unique in Pettibon’s oeuvre, this painting on Plexiglas encompasses the excitement and drama of Pettibon’s iconic surf imagery with the energy, expression, and passion of an artist at the height of his powers” The sales lead for this auction, Laura Bjorstad, goes on to say that “Bonhams consistently seeks to offer not just the finest names in contemporary art, but also uniquely special objects. Coming to auction for the first time, this incredibly important painting has not been exhibited publicly since its creation. Not only is it historically significant to the artist’s overall body of work, but viewed from any angle, it is absolutely breathtaking. We’re thrilled to have this visual treasure leading our upcoming sale.”
The painting has a pre-show estimate of $500,000 – $800,000. To give prospective buyers some additional info about the work, the auction house has posted a short video showing Pettibon at work on this piece – https://www.bonhams.com/video/31588/
To take a look at the work and learn more about Mr. Pettibon, click on over to its page on the Bonham’s site – https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/26581/lot/26/
The writers on the ArtDaily site provide us with a nice intro to this auction on their site – https://artdaily.cc/news/132808/Raymond-Pettibon-painting-leads-Bonhams-Post-War—Contemporary-Art-auction
d) In more auction-related news, Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer and visual artist extraordinaire Michael Cartellone is auctioning off a portrait he did of the late Lynyrd Skynyrd lead singer Ronnie Van Zant to raise money and awareness for the Concert Support Community charity, as detailed in this article (and interview) by Goldmine Magazine editor Patrick Prince – https://www.goldminemag.com/collector-resources/ronnie-van-zant-portrait-by-lynyrd-skynyrd-drummer-michael-cartellone-set-for-auction
I had the pleasure of working with Michael very early on in my art career and he was kind enough to work with me on two of my early album art-related interviews (one back in 2006 and the second the next year) during which we talked about the artwork he created while on the road with the band, released as a series of prints known as The Road Series, which were featured on a special LS compilation in the UK (Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Greatest Hits) – https://rockpopgallery.typepad.com/rockpop_gallery_news/2006/10/index.html, followed by https://rockpopgallery.typepad.com/rockpop_gallery_news/2007/05/cover_story_lyn.html
e) At Bonham’s London outpost in late February, collectors will find a new themed auction titled “British Cool” (“a curated auction showcasing the best of British Art and Culture”, so says their site) which includes several lots of iconic music-related imagery up for bid. The company posted a nice 2-part intro to the exhibition and auction that steps you through examples of how British creative-types produced memorable examples of art, photography, music and more from the 1960s to the present – https://www.bonhams.com/video/31178/, followed by https://www.bonhams.com/video/31179/?
Auction details were just released, with several notable album cover art-related items up for bid including prints of album cover art for Abbey Road (by Iain Macmillan) and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Peter Blake, Jann Haworth and Michael Cooper) for The Beatles, Art Kane’s The Who With A Flag (adapted for use on their soundtrack for The Kids Are Alright) and several other items of interest – https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/26709/?#/aa1=1&MR1_length=48&w1=list&q1=album%2520cover&m1=1
The final auction is scheduled for the 25th of the month, you can preview the entire catalog now on their site – https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/26709/
That’s all for now – see you again in a few weeks with more in my monthly news summary.
Unless otherwise noted, all text and images included in this article are Copyright 2021 Mike Goldstein and AlbumCoverHallofFame.com – All Rights Reserved. All of trade names mentioned in these summaries are the properties of their respective owners and are used for reference only.
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