Thorgerson Views

• Books

Storm Thorgerson was born in Potters Bar, which was in Middlesex at the time and is now in Hertfordshire. He was a key member of the British graphic art group Hipgnosis, and designed many of their most famous single and album covers. Latterly, he runs a design studio called StormStudios - a loose group of freelancers. The current line up includes - Rupert Truman (Photographer), Peter Curzon (Designer), Finlay Cowan (Designer and Illustrator), Daniel Abbott (Designer and Artist), Lee Baker (Designer, Retoucher and Artist), Jerry Sweet (Designer) along with Storm's Personal Assistant, Laura Truman.

Perhaps Thorgerson's most famous designs are those for Pink Floyd.[1] His design for The Dark Side of the Moon has been called one of the greatest album covers of all time. (Designed by Thorgerson, the cover itself was the drawn by Hipgnosis designer George Hardie).[2] Many of his designs are notable for their surreal elements. He often places objects out of their traditional contexts, especially with vast spaces around them, to give them an awkward appearance while highlighting their beauty. To quote Thorgerson, I like photography because it is a reality medium, unlike drawing which is unreal. I like to mess with reality...to bend reality. Some of my works beg the question of is it real or not? [3]

One of the few useful pieces of unsolicited email I've ever received arrived in my in-box on Thursday, Sept. 11, 1997. It was a press release from Beth Brody of Brody Public Relations in Stockton, N.J., detailing Mind Over Matter: The Images of Pink Floyd (Sanctuary Publishing; ISBN 1-86074-224-6), the new book by Storm Thorgerson, designer of nearly every Pink Floyd album cover, as well as loads of other classic images. Within a week of my reply, Brody had a copy of Thorgerson's book in my hand, with a phone interview in the works between Thorgerson and myself shortly thereafter.

Thorgerson, 53 at the time, had just stepped into his office on Tuesday, Sept. 30, when I placed the call to his London office from my Burlington, Vt., domicile. Cordial if not a little clownish, his first concern seemed to be for my well-being, considering the trans-Atlantic time difference that was requiring I conduct the interview at 7:30 a.m. my time. Are you awake? he asked. Are you on the ball? Are you focused? he demanded with a rapid-fire British clip. Assured I was up to the task, but not entirely sure of the nature of Floydian Slip, I explained I produced a weekly Pink Floyd show, broadcast in the state of Vermont. Is that where you're ringing from? he asked. Good grief. Do you know where Vermont is? I asked, certain, as many Vermonters probably are, that the rest of the world hasn't a clue about our tiny state. Yes, I've been there, darling, Thorgerson purred back at me with mock indignation.