Vaughan Oliver died yesterday aged 62. He was the man responsible for the creating the artwork that graced the sleeves of a slew of bands in the 1980s and 90s and the entire visual identity of 4AD. The selection above shows how distinctive, eye catching and beautiful his work was but also how varied. It helps that the music contained within the 12" by 12" squares above was always of the highest calibre- Lush, Pixies, This Mortal Coil, Cocteau Twins, Ultra Vivid Scene, MARRS, Colourbox, Pale Saints (and also Throwing Muses, The Breeders, AR Kane, Belly... the list goes on). From the days when buying records based on the label they were issued on was commonplace and when the artwork mattered as much as the music.
Here in 1991 are Lush performing their single Sweetness and Light at The Dome, shoegaze pop with a Manchester swing to the rhythm. Vaughan Oliver RIP.
Great to see this collection of sleeves all together, a brilliant selection. I really do like his artwork for its own sake, as well as associating it with some excellent music. Was sad to hear of his death and so young too. RIP Vaughan.
ReplyDeleteVery sad news. His extraordinary LP sleeves defined an era and invited you into a whole other world.
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Their otherworldliness, vivid colours, blurs of shapes and light combined with photographs- a strange, sensual world that either perfectly fitted the music or was a weird counterpoint to it. Unique.
ReplyDeleteSad news indeed. I wasn't aware of his passing. 4AD was my favourite label throughout the late 80s and most of the 90s. Like Factory, it was a label that believed in the complete package, that music was art as art was music. You could spot a Vaughan Oliver pice a mile off, even if each piece was so different from the others. All those above were quitessentially 4AD and helped create that perfect aesthetic.
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