Illustrating the intertwined relationship between Post-War and Contemporary Art and Music
Most recent news of a prominent Japanese graphic designer and artist Verdy being appointed as Artistic Director of K-Pop mega-group BLACKPINK prompted us to look back at the numerous occasions artists have collaborated with musicians in the 20th and 21st centuries. Some of those instances might be more familiar to Millennial readers and some could remind the Boomers of their youth, so let's start this deep dive in art x music collaborations over time (in a chronological order, of course)!
Part I focuses on the most recent examples and Part II will look into the twentieth century.
1. BLACKPINK x Verdy
As stated in the introduction, Verdy - familiar face in the Harajuku scene in Japan since 2007, the designer of cult clothing labels Wasted Youth and Girls Don't Cry, who had his first solo exhibition at Takashi Murakami's Kaikai Kiki Gallery in Tokyo in 2021 - has become the Artistic Director of BLACKPINK - K-Pop girls' band taking the world by storm. What exactly this collaboration entails remains to be seen (expect some kawaii merch for sure), but we are definitely here for it!
Above: Verdy and his alter-ego character VICK from his Tokyo exhibition in 2021. Photo by: Shunsuke Shiga
Below: Verdy's pastel cute character VISTY from the same exhibition. Photo by Shunsuke Shiga
2. Drake x Damien Hirst
Hotly debated cover of Drake's album, 'Certified Lover Boy', 2021, was revealed to be by the British artist Damien Hirst and apparently self-referenced his popular series Spots in shape of pregnant women.
Above: Drake's 'Certified Lover Boy' album cover by Damien Hirst, 2021.
Below: Damien Hirst, 3-Methylthymidine, 2014. From 'Spots' painting series.
3. Kanye West x Kid Cudi x Takashi Murakami
For their joint album 'Kids See Ghosts', released in 2018, Ye and Kid Cudi enlisted their friend and frequent collaborator, founder of Superflat contemporary art movement, Japanese artist Takashi Murakami.
4. Jay-Z x Jeff Koons
Jay-Z has been a long-standing supporter and collector of Post-War and Contemporary art. In 2017, during his 4:44 Festival tour, he performed on stage with a massive 40-foot inflatable Balloon Dog by Jeff Koons.
5. Jay-Z, 'Picasso Baby' x Marina Abramovic
In 2013, Jay-Z has premiered his own Performance Art Film (a.k.a. music video) 'Picasso Baby', shot at the Pace Gallery in Downtown New York, where he was performing and dancing among numerous people for six hours, one of them a well-known artist Marina Abramovic. The film is said to be inspired by Marina Abramovic's 2010 installation 'The Artist is Present', where she had spent 736 hours with MoMA visitors.
Above: Jay-Z and Marina Abramovic during 'Picasso Baby' performance art film shoot in 2013.
6. Towa Tei x Yayoi Kusama
Japanese electronic music artist Towa Tei released his fifth studio album 'Lucky' in 2013, enlisting fellow Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama to design the cover, using her signature 'dots' pattern.
7. Lady Gaga x Jeff Koons
Jeff Koons created album art for Lady Gaga's album 'ARTPOP' in 2013, featuring Boticelli, The Birth of Venus, on the background and stylistically reminiscent of his early works with porn star ex-wife Ilona Staller.
8. Kanye West x Jay-Z, 'Otis' music video x Maybach x Phillips de Pury & Co.
Kanye West and Jay-Z crashed a $350,000 Maybach in the music video for the track 'Otis' from their joint album 'Watch The Throne'. The remains of the car were auctioned at Phillips de Pury & Co. auction in March, 2012 for est. $100,000-150,000, a third of its original price, to a Chinese buyer, who purchased it for his 18 y.o. daughter as a graduation gift. The exhibition that preceded the auction had attracted to Phillips New York HQ unusual crowds of teenagers, eager to take pictures of the car.
9. Red Hot Chili Peppers x Damien Hirst
The prominent member of Young British Artists, Damien Hirst, designed the cover of the tenth album by Red Hot Chili Peppers, titled 'I'm With You' and released in 2011. Minimalistic design, featuring Hirst's signature pharmaceutical pill and a fly, this cover is an artist's musing on the subject of the fleeting nature of life.
10. Kanye West x George Condo
Famous contemporary American artist George Condo apparently had no idea, who Kanye West was, when Ye called him in 2010 and asked to design the cover art for arguably one of Kanye's most critically acclaimed albums - 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'. Condo agreed and came up with not one, but five artworks, based on different tracks from the album. By now we are all familiar with the one that became the official cover (hint: it is pixelated even on iTunes for its explicit imagery).
The relationship between Kanye West and George Condo only strengthened from there. The artist had also painted a Hermes Birkin bag, that Kanye subsequently gifted to Kim.
Above: the final cover art for Kanye West's 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy' album, 2010.
Below: other album cover variants by George Condo:
11. The Hours x Damien Hirst
The group's second album 'See The Light' was released in 2009. The cover art was created by the friend of the group, famous British artist Damien Hirst. It featured another two of his signature motifs: the skull and the 'spin painting' technique, that, in combination, added dynamism to the cover and forced the viewer to "see the light" indeed.
12. Madonna x Mr. Brainwash
Madonna commissioned Mr. Brainwash to design cover art for her 2009 album 'Celebration'. Taking clue from Andy Warhol and referencing his infamous 'Marilyn' series, but using Madonna's portrait instead, Mr. Brainwash offered an updated commentary on celebrity of his current time. Beyond the album cover art, Mr. Brainwash has since produced a number of prints and paintings of Madonna.
13. Kanye West x KAWS
Popular New York graffiti artist KAWS created the album cover art and accompanying poster for Kanye West's influential album'808 & Heartbreak' , that was released in 2008.
14. Kanye West x Takashi Murakami
The first time Kanye West collaborated with an artist was in 2007 for his 'Graduation' album cover with aforementioned Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, who then created the since infamous teddy bear for Kanye.
Stay tuned for Part II, where we will explore the earlier examples of art x music collaborations!
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