A storm (of emotions) is gathering, with images that involve the visitor: especially if these pictures are signed by Storm Thorgerson and the visitors love rock.
The exhibition is at the historic Arengario palace in Monza: within this medieval location, is also displayed the most famous cover of “Dark Side of the Moon” by Pink Floyd, designed by Thorgerson in early seventies, when – quite odd to think about – computers and video graphics were not yet in use and would you had to create a suitable set, maybe you had to carry 700 hospital beds on a beach, arranged in the shape of a river – a river bed.
Even in that distant, pre-Photoshop era, the beds could have been faked. But fakery was rarely part of the Thorgerson methodology. He used computers, but he was satisfied only if he had a team of people building something improbable and downright contrary in an exotic location.
Graphics, videos, posters, artworks, photos are on stage. And it is quite interesting looking at people who, while visiting the exhibit, suddenly realize they know well these images and that maybe they have one of them in their own house. Indeed, the author used to say that more than 150 million people have one of his artworks at home, possibly as a poster or a cover.
Storm illustrated albums by artists that are now legend with his visionary images. He also inextricably linked up his work to an idea, to the spirit that those new sounds spread in the culture and society in which they were forming, taking on an innovative role for the rock music iconography.
Imagination and creativity, along with a bit of absurdity and a fine touch of surrealism play a leading role in the work of Storm Thorgerson: “utopia and dream are resolved in a visionary hyper-realism giving his artworks their extraordinary power, evocative as well as provocative, that are part of the rock music DNA”, Luigi Pedrazzi of Arteutopia–Milano (who organized the exhibit together with the Stormstudios) says.
At first glance, his pictures seem one-dimensional, but looking twice at them, the interpretation changes, as realities are juxtaposed and you’ll discover a world of illusions, visual puns, conundrums and strange narratives, often set in a surreal landscape occupied by people and objects carefully composed in seemingly impossible situations. With a touch of ineffable irony.
“Nothing is impossible, neither two ladies wearing cerise onions for ball gowns nor the huge stone statues the size of the Easter island figures facing each other, yet divided by Ely Cathedral in the distance. Storm continued doing what he liked to do best – playing the creator of images”, Aubrey Powell (Po) adds.
Promoted by the Assessorato alle Politiche Culturali of the Municipality of Monza, the exhibit is produced by Clarart and organized by Arteutopia together with Stormstudios, and curated by Luigi Pedrazzi and Daniel Abbott. It is accompanied by a catalog and a video on the work of Storm Thorgerson. There are also workshops for young photographers and designers with Dan Abbott, creative director of Stormstudio London.
EXHIBITION
The Gathering Storm
Dai Pink Floyd ai Muse le grandi copertine rock di Storm Thorgerson
Until August 24, 2014
Palazzo dell’Arengario
Piazza Roma 1
20900 Monza
Italy
Free entrance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZWeW5KNWgg
http://www.comune.monza.it/portale/monzaeventi/index.html
http://www.clarart.com
