Storm Thorgerson

Storm Thorgerson
Thorgerson in 2010
Born	Storm Elvin Thorgerson (1944-02-28)28 February 1944 Potters Bar, Middlesex, England
Died	England
Nationality	English
Known for	Graphic designer, music video director

Storm Elvin Thorgerson (28 February 1944 – 18 April 2013) was an English graphic designer, best known for his work for rock artists such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Nik Kershaw, Black Sabbath, Scorpions, Peter Gabriel, Genesis, Al Stewart, Europe, Catherine Wheel, Bruce Dickinson, Dream Theater, Anthrax, The Cranberries, The Mars Volta, Muse, The Alan Parsons Project, Biffy Clyro and Rival Sons.

Early life

Thorgerson, who was of Norwegian descent, was born in Potters Bar, Middlesex (now part of Hertfordshire), and he attended Summerhill School, Brunswick Primary School in Cambridge, and the Cambridgeshire High School for Boys with Pink Floyd founders Syd Barrett, who was in the year below him, and Roger Waters, who was in the year above him. Thorgerson and Waters played rugby together at school, while Thorgerson's mother Vanji and Waters' mother Mary were close friends. He studied English and Philosophy at the University of Leicester, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree with Honours, before studying Film and Television at the Royal College of Art, where he graduated with a Master of Arts degree.

He was a teenage friend of Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour and best man at Gilmour's wedding to Polly Samson in 1994.

Career

In 1968 along with Aubrey Powell he founded the graphic art group Hipgnosis, and between them they designed many famous single and album covers, with Peter Christopherson joining them for their later commissions. In 1983, following the dissolution of Hipgnosis, Thorgerson and Powell formed Greenback Films, producing music videos.

In the early nineties Thorgerson inaugurated StormStudios along with Peter Curzon – a loose group of freelancers. The line up included Rupert Truman (photographer), Finlay Cowan (designer and illustrator), Daniel Abbott (designer and artist), Lee Baker (creative retoucher and designer) and Jerry Sweet (designer) along with Thorgerson's personal assistants, Laura Truman (prints) and Charlotte Barnes, and then later Silvia Ruga (designer).

Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon cover.

Perhaps Thorgerson's most famous designs are those for Pink Floyd. His design for The Dark Side of the Moon has been called one of the greatest album covers of all time. Designed by Thorgerson and Hipgnosis, the artwork for the cover itself was drawn by George Hardie, a designer at NTA Studios. Many of Thorgerson's 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[sic] of is it real or not?"

File:Muse - Absolution Cover UK.jpg

Muse – Absolution cover.

Over the years, Thorgerson and his team designed and released several books about their work. The Gathering Storm – A Quartet in Several Parts was the final book Thorgerson worked on with his team and it was completed just before his death in April 2013. The book was released in September 2013 and includes album covers artwork, photographs, and anecdotes, spanning five decades from his early work with Hipgnosis through to StormStudios.

In 2013, Prog Magazine renamed its Grand Design Award after Thorgerson. It is now known as the Storm Thorgerson Grand Design Award and will be given to the designer of the year's best-packaged product. Thorgerson had won the 2012 award for his continued work with Pink Floyd.

Health problems and death

In 2003, Thorgerson suffered a stroke, from which he was partially paralysed. He was later diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer, which he battled for several years, but which eventually led to his death on 18 April 2013, at the age of 69. After Thorgerson's death, David Gilmour released a statement describing him as "a constant force in my life, both at work and in private, a shoulder to cry on, and a great friend". A post on the official Pink Floyd website called him a "graphic genius". Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason said that he was a "tireless worker right up to the end".

Solo works

Album cover designs (1968–2014)

For Thorgerson's work with Hipgnosis, see Hipgnosis discography

• 10cc:
  • Sheet Music (1974)
  • The Original Soundtrack (1975)
  • How Dare You! (1976)
  • Deceptive Bends (1977)
  • Bloody Tourists (1978)
  • Greatest Hits 1972–1978 (1979)
  • Look Hear? (1980)
  • Mirror Mirror (1994)
• AC/DC
  • Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976) (international edition)
• Alan Parsons:
  • Try Anything Once (1993)
  • On Air (1996)
  • The Time Machine (1999)
  • A Valid Path (2004)
• The Alan Parsons Project
  • Pyramid (1978)
  • Eve (1979).

• • Eye in the Sky (1982)
• Al Stewart
  • Past, Present and Future (1973)
  • Modern Times (1975)
  • Year of the Cat (1976)
  • Time Passages (1978)
• The Answer
  • New Horizon (2013)
• Anthrax
  • Stomp 442 (1995)
• Audience
  • The House on the Hill (1971)
  • Lunch (1972)
  • You Can't Beat 'em (1973)
• Audioslave
  • Audioslave (2002)
• Bad Company
  • Bad Company (1974)
  • Straight Shooter (1975)
  • Burnin' Sky (1977)
  • Desolation Angels (1979)
  • Rough Diamonds (1982)
• Biffy Clyro:
  • Puzzle (2007)
    • "Saturday Superhouse" (2007)
    • "Living is a Problem Because Everything Dies" (2007)
    • "Folding Stars" (2007)
    • "Machines" (2007)
  • Only Revolutions (2009)
    • "That Golden Rule" (2009)
    • "The Captain" (2009)
    • "Lonely Revolutions" (2010)
  • Opposites (2013)
    • "Black Chandelier" (2013)
    • "Biblical" (2013)
    • "Opposite" (2013)
    • "Victory Over the Sun" (2013)
    • "Similarities" (2014)
• Black Sabbath:
  • Technical Ecstasy (1976)
  • Never Say Die! (1978)
• Brand X
  • Unorthodox Behaviour (1976)
  • Moroccan Roll (1977)
  • Product (1979)
  • Do They Hurt? (1980)
• Bruce Dickinson
  • Skunkworks (1996)
• Catherine Wheel:
  • Chrome (1993)
  • Happy Days (1995)
  • Like Cats and Dogs (compilation) (1996)
  • Adam And Eve (1997)
  • Wishville (2000)
• The Cranberries:
  • Bury the Hatchet (1999)
  • Wake Up and Smell the Coffee (2001)
• The Cult:
  • Electric (1987) (credited on the picture sleeve as "Art Direction by Storm Thorgerson")
• David Gilmour
  • David Gilmour (1978)
  • About Face (1984)
  • David Gilmour in Concert DVD (2002)
• Def Leppard
  • High 'n' Dry (1981)
• Deepest Blue
  • Late September (2004)
• Disco Biscuits:
  • Planet Anthem (2010)
• Dream Theater:
  • A Change of Seasons (1995)
  • Falling into Infinity (1997)
  • "Once in a LIVEtime" (1998)
  • "5 Years in a Livetime" (1998)
• Edgar Broughton Band
  • Edgar Broughton Band (1971)
  • Inside Out (1972)
  • Oora (1973)
  • A Bunch of 45s (1975)
  • Parlez-Vous English (1979)
• Electric Light Orchestra
  • The Electric Light Orchestra (1971)
  • ELO 2 (1973)
  • On the Third Day (1973)
  • The Light Shines On (1977)
• Ellis, Beggs, & Howard
  • Homelands (1989)
• Ethnix
  • Home Is Where The Head Is (2002)
• Europe
  • Secret Society (2006)
• Flash
  • Flash (1972)
  • Out of Our Hands (1973)
• The Gods
  • Genesis (1968)
  • To Samuel a Son (1969)
• Genesis
  • The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1974)
  • A Trick of the Tail (1976)
  • Wind & Wuthering (1976)
  • ...And Then There Were Three... (1978)
• The Greatest Show on Earth
  • Horizons (1970)
  • The Going's Easy (1970)
  • The Greatest Show on Earth (1975)
• goodbyemotel
  • If (2014)
• Goose
  • Synrise (2012)
• Helloween
  • Pink Bubbles Go Ape (1991)
• Herman Rarebell
  • Nip in the Bud (1981)
• Ian Dury and The Blockheads
  • Mr. Love Pants (1998)
• Led Zeppelin
  • Led Zeppelin (1969)
  • Houses of the Holy (1973)
  • Presence (1976)
  • The Song Remains the Same (1976)
  • In Through the Out Door (1979)
  • Coda (1982)
• The Mars Volta:
  • De-Loused in the Comatorium (2003)
    • "Inertiatic ESP" single (2003)
    • "Televators" single (2003)
  • Frances the Mute (2005)
    • "The Widow" single (2005)
  • Amputechture (2006) (original artwork)
• Megadeth:
  • Rude Awakening DVD (2002)
• Mike Oldfield
  • "Earth Moving" (1989)
    • Earth Moving single (1989)
• Mike Rutherford
  • Smallcreep's Day (1980)
• Muse:
  • Absolution (2003)
    • "Butterflies and Hurricanes" single (2004)
  • Black Holes and Revelations (2006)
  • "Uprising" single (2009)
• The Nice
  • Five Bridges (1970)
  • Elegy (1971)
  • Autumn '67 – Spring '68 (1972)
• Nick Mason
  • Fictitious Sports (1981)
• The Offspring
  • Splinter (2003)
• Peter Gabriel:
  • Peter Gabriel (1977) ("Car")
  • Peter Gabriel (1978) ("Scratch")
  • Peter Gabriel (1980) ("Melt")
• Pendulum
  • Immersion (2010)
• Phish
  • Slip Stitch and Pass (1997)
• The Pineapple Thief
  • Someone Here Is Missing (2010)
• Pink Floyd:
  • A Saucerful of Secrets (1968)
  • More (1969)
  • Ummagumma (1969)
  • Atom Heart Mother (1970)
  • Meddle (1971)
  • Obscured by Clouds (1972)
  • The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
  • A Nice Pair (1973)
  • Wish You Were Here (1975)
  • Animals (1977)
  • A Collection of Great Dance Songs (1981)
  • A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987)
  • Delicate Sound of Thunder (1988)
  • Shine On (1992)
  • The Division Bell (1994)
  • P*U*L*S*E (1995), including the blinking LED light that was featured in early CD packaging.
  • Relics re-release (1996)
  • Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980–81 (2000)
  • Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd (2001)
  • Oh, by the Way (2007)
  • The Best of Pink Floyd: A Foot in the Door (2011)
• Robert Plant:
  • The Principle of Moments (1983)
  • "Big Log" (single) (1983)
• Renaissance
  • Prologue (1972)
  • Ashes Are Burning (1973)
  • Turn of the Cards (1974)
  • Scheherazade and Other Stories (1975)
  • A Song for All Seasons (1978)
• The Plea
  • The Dreamers Stadium (2012)
• Powderfinger
  • Golden Rule (2009)
• Program the Dead
  • Program The Dead (2005)
• Rainbow
  • Difficult to Cure (1981)
  • Straight Between the Eyes (1982)
  • Bent Out of Shape (1983)
• Rick Wright
  • Wet Dream (1978)
  • Broken China (1996)
• Rival Sons
  • Pressure & Time (2011)
• Roger Taylor
  • Fun in Space (1981)
• Roy Harper
  • Lifemask (1973)
  • Valentine (1974)
  • Flashes from the Archives of Oblivion (1974)
  • HQ (1975)
  • Bullinamingvase (1977)
• Scorpions
  • Lovedrive (1979)
  • Animal Magnetism (1980)
  • Crazy World (1990)
• Sammy Hagar
  • Sammy Hagar (1977)
  • Musical Chairs (1977)
• Steve Miller Band:
  • Bingo! (2010)
  • Let Your Hair Down (2011)
• Shpongle
  • Ineffable Mysteries from Shpongleland (2009)
• Slow Earth
  • Latitude and 023 (2013)
• Styx
  • Pieces of Eight (1978)
  • Cyclorama (2003)
• Strawbs
  • Deadlines (1977)
• Toe Fat
  • Toe Fat (1970)
  • Toe Fat 2 (1971)
• Thornley
  • Come Again (2004)
  • Tiny Pictures (2009)
• Thunder
  • Laughing on Judgement Day (1992)
  • Behind Closed Doors (1995)
• UFO
  • Phenomenon (1974)
  • Force It (1975)
  • No Heavy Petting (1976)
  • Lights Out (1977)
  • Obsession (1978)
  • Strangers in the Night (1979)
  • No Place to Run (1980)
  • The Wild, the Willing and the Innocent (1981)
  • Making Contact (1983)
• UK
  • Danger Money (1979)
• Umphrey's McGee
  • Safety in Numbers (2006)
  • The Bottom Half (2007)
• Villainy
  • Mode. Set. Clear. (2012)
• Wax
  • American English (1987)
  • A Hundred Thousand in Fresh Notes (1989)
• Ween
  • The Mollusk (1997)
• Wishbone Ash
  • Pilgrimage (1971)
  • Argus (1972)
  • Wishbone Four (1973)
  • Live Dates (1973)
  • There's the Rub (1974)
  • New England (1976)
  • Front Page News (1977)
  • No Smoke Without Fire (1978)
  • Just Testing (1980)
• The Wombats:
  • This Modern Glitch (2011)
• XTC
  • Go 2 (1978)
• Yes
  • Going for the One (1977)
  • Tormato (1978)
• Yumi Matsutoya
  • Sakuban Oaisimashō (1981)
• Younger Brother
  • Last Days of Gravity (2007)
  • Vaccine (2011)
• Yourcodenameis:milo
  • Rapt. Dept. (2005)
  • 17 (2005)
  • Ignoto (2005)

Music videos

• Paul Young – "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)" (1983)
• Rainbow – "Street of Dreams" (1983)
• Robert Plant – "Big Log" (1983)
• Yes – "Owner of a Lonely Heart" (1983)
• Kevin Kitchen – "Tight Spot" (1984)
• Nik Kershaw – "Wouldn't It Be Good" (1984)
• David Gilmour – "Blue Light" (1984)
• David Gilmour – "All Lovers Are Deranged" (1984)
• Nik Kershaw – "The Riddle" (1984)
• Nik Kershaw – "Wide Boy (1984)
• Nik Kershaw – "Don Quixote" (1985)
• Belouis Some – "Some People" (1985)
• Glass Tiger – "Thin Red Line" (1985)
• Glass Tiger – "Someday" (1985)
• The Cult – "Love Removal Machine" (1987)
• Pink Floyd – "Learning to Fly" (1987)
• Pink Floyd – "The Dogs of War" (1987)
• Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe – "Brother of Mine" (1989)
• Bruce Dickinson – "Tattooed Millionaire" (1990)
• Bruce Dickinson – "All the Young Dudes" (1990)
• Helloween – "Kids of the Century" (1991)
• Alan Parsons – "Turn It Up" (1993)
• Pink Floyd – "High Hopes" (1994)
• Richard Wright – "Night Of a Thousand Furry Toys" (1996)

External links

• Official website
• Storm Thorgerson at the Internet Movie Database
• Interview with "Floydian Slip" host Craig Bailey, September 1997
• BBC Feature and audio interview
• BBC Article on Thorgerson's work: Audio slideshow: Storm's sleeves
• TateShots: Storm Thorgerson on Magritte The artist talks about the influence of Magritte on his work. 21 July 2011
• Tennents' "One Great Thing" Advert on YouTube
• Thorgerson interviewed on YouTube by Younger Brother (video, 8 mins, 2010)