Album Covers=Public Art?

Before doing this blog, I read numerous definitions of 'public art' and 'art in the public sphere'. Many of these say that any art that is well recogonized can be defined as public art. So my question is, What's more well recogonized or controversial than an album cover? I chose 2 that are very well known, and have either sparked controversy in their own right, or the artist who produced it is controversial.

The Beatles. Abbey Road. 1969.
EMI, Olympic, and Trident Studios. London.


Over the years, the Abbey Road cover has sparked controversy about Paul McCartney, and about the Beatles covering up his death. The band has been said to represent a funeral procession on this cover with John Lennon being the priest (or Jesus), Ringo Starr being the funeral director (or priest), Paul Mccartney being the corpse, and George Harrison representing the gravedigger. There is a police van with an officer watching them, alluding to MI5 covering up the death, a car with the liscense plate reading 28IF- meaing McCartney would be 28 if he had lived, and 3 people dressed in white representing the 3 real Beatles.

Number 14 on Rolling Stone's list of '500 Greatest Albums of All Time'.

...one thing i can tell you is you got to be free
come together right now over me...- come together now.



Emenim. The Eminem Show. 2002.
Encore Studios. Detroit.
The Eminem Show album cover itself was not controversial. The rapper was the center of the controversy in this album. There is a Parental Advisory in the corner, showing that the content is not suitable for all ages, yet Eminem was very popular at this time. For all his popularity, there were problems. people constantly protested the violence he portrayed in his songs. While looking at this album cover, there is nothing to protest against: the lyrics would be the problem.

The Eminem Show sold over 7 million copies in the US alone, making it the highest selling album of 2002.

...it's my life. i'd like to welcome yall to the Eminem Show...- Cleanin Out My Closet


These 2 album covers are very recogonizable. Both come from a time when the bands were at the height of their fame.

1 comments:

Avia said...

Back when records were very popular, the cover meant everything. Today artists still care about their cover art even though it may be smaller now because of CDs and iTunes.