Grace Jones & Richard Burnstein.
This is the inside spread from the Grace Jones album, Muse (1979). As far as the album goes, its probably not one her best, but it does have some good, although somewhat standard disco tracks on it. The artwork by Richard Burnstein (1939–2002) is what really blows me away. This stuff was done with photographs, photocopies, exacto blades, masks, pastels and airbrush. Its not perfect (you can see edges where the masks were cut and so on) and thats exactly what makes it. Maybe its just me, but its 100 more interesting to me than any overly-retouched art you may see today. Designers, myself included, spend so much time these days trying to make their stuff look like this, but no one takes the time to get out the pastels and exacto blades. Great craft, great era. I have it hanging up on the wall in my studio. Definitely inspirational when I feel like throwing my computer out of my window.
Posted on August 28, 2007 at 07:29 AM | Previous Entry | Next Entry | Entry List | Email Entry | Digg
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Hello Uncle Geez..just read your comments on this album. I bought it when it came out and I remember listening to the album and staring at the cover and especially the inside art. I was and am still a big Grace fan...and this album as wel as the Fame and Portfolio albums with Richard Burnstiens work were so well done. I always wondered how he did it and you just gave a wonderful decrption of how it was done....well maybe the other two were done in adifferent manner.
Anyway this art is just brilliant...you are so right there is nothing like using pastels and an exacto. Computers are great but there is still nothing like the feeling of working with simple intruments in the hand to create. Thankyou for the commentary. I still have the albums by the way and look at the from time to time.
Andrew