-
courtesy of Merge Records
-
"I'll Follow You" by Maya Hayuk
Unbelievable Things: 25 Years of Art on Merge Records
LIGHT Art + Design
Through Aug. 9
As a part of its
25th anniversary ballyhoo, Merge goes multimedia in
Unbelievable Things: 25 Years of Art on Merge Records, an exhibit in the Durham label’s original home of Chapel Hill.
The show offers an up-close look at the original art behind some of Merge’s most iconic album covers, from
Caribou’s Andorra to
Arcade Fire’s Funeral, with a healthy amount of space given to Superchunk covers created by Mac McCaughan or Laura Ballance.
-
courtesy of Merge Records
-
"Andorra" by Jason Evans
The exhibit is an interesting opportunity to interact with album art in an entirely different fashion. You wouldn’t expect, for example, that the cover of
The Rosebuds’ Life Like was painted on a large piece of corrugated cardboard.
Another compelling piece is “Beautillion Militaire 2000,” a 20-panel grid of 5-by-5 inch paintings by Lambchop’s Kurt Wagner, which appeared on
the cover of 2012 album Mr. M. The paintings are small, but there is striking detail in each one, thanks to the thick texture and application of the paint.
Even the photographic prints are engaging. Harrison Haynes’ “Oran Mor,” which was used as the cover for
2012 Superchunk single “This Summer” b/w “Cruel Summer,” is a photo of what appears to be a leather chair under an orange light, moments after someone lifted him or herself out of it. The print is so big and the colors so bold that you can almost feel the texture and warmth of the scene.
-
courtesy of Merge Records
-
"Nixon" by Wayne White
By contrast, “Grandpa Bill’s Pillow,” which graces the cover of
The Rock*A*Teens’ Baby, a Little Rain Must Fall, is gag-inducing with its image of a massive, greasy pillow that has clearly never been washed. Is it high art? Maybe not. But this show provides valuable insights for music fanatics and intrigue for casual fans, too.
Comments