27 Club: Production & Evaluation

THE 27 CLUB Submission Date: 01.03.2018 The 27 Club is a celebration of the music created by those who died at the age of 27, including greats such as Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse. The Brief: Create artwork for one of the musicians in the 27 club (list attached). This brief is open and is a chance to be as creative as you like, experimenting with different mediums. Our only restriction is that the size has to be 27 x 27cm. Think about the focus for the piece, could it be about a musician as a whole or focus in on a specific phase of their life? For example it could be Jimi Hendrix before Woodstock or Brian Jones’s response to Sgt. Pepper. You could even focus in on a specific song like ‘Light My Fire’ by The Doors for Jim Morrison. Find some hidden gems, but please ensure your entry is respectful as the subject could be viewed as sensitive in nature. Submissions: All work submitted will be presented to a panel of judges, with the shortlisted pieces being displayed in the exhibition and used within a small publication. Deliverables: 27 x 27cm artwork. A short rationale for the piece

Submission

Rationale:

It is through Jim Morrison's poetry that we can remember the incredible intellectual and creative qualities of his character. This piece focuses on an extract from 'The Severed Garden' (translated to 'A Feast of Friends' for the album An American Prayer), where Morrison writes about welcoming death.

"Nothing he read left a more lasting impression on Jimmy Morrison than his encounter with Nietzsche." 

His controversial Nietzscheanism beliefs transpire through this poem, as he manifests himself beyond corporeal life. The design seeks to capture the transcendental nature of Morrison's ideas of embracing death, and how corporate life has destroyed the natural world. Since he died so young the irony of this poem stands out, adding value to its message. As such, the words themselves carry the design whilst reflecting the retro psychedelia of the 60s, adding an element of nostalgia. Resembling gig posters and flyers of the time, image and type fuse to depict an idyllic landscape that aims to imitate the startling juxtaposition of image and words Morrison expressed. 

The final production was printed 27x27 cm on the thickest stock of semi-gloss paper available. It was important for the design to resemble and album cover, so the gloss replicates this effectively. However, it was a consideration that there is strong lighting in an exhibition space, and so the too glossy would reflect light and might not be seen as well, so the semi-gloss was selected.