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Thread started 02/01/15 4:05am

jwar

Art of Art Official Age

So how about the art of Art Official Age?

Maya Washington was in charge of the art direction.

In my opinion, the art was clean and fresh. Prince was looking futuristic sci-fi with the afro, the three-lensed glasses, and gold outerwear. Then the entire cover had a slightly oriental vibe to it, the white vinyl records floating in a baby blue sky. Then the futuristic custom font used throughout was a very nice touch - a beautiful font.

Overall, the art direction added to the sci-fi storyline of Prince waking up 45 years in the future after being put into suspended animation, to a sterilized world where people communicate telepathically. The loneliness and sterility of the new world being emphasized by the heavy use of white (a symbol of purity in some cultures, but death in others) and the absence of any other people.

I applaud Maya for creating this latest iconic imagery of Prince.

Any additional observations? What do you think may have inspired this storyline and the fabulous art direction? Do you think Vanilla Sky had anything to do with it?
[Edited 2/1/15 4:12am]
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Reply #1 posted 02/01/15 4:34am

thedance

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jwar said:

Maya Washington was in charge

poor Maya... sad


the silly girl with the Lovesex my jam speak... lol lol lol lol

Prince 4Ever. heart
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Reply #2 posted 02/01/15 4:50am

Yggor

I like it very much, it's so cool! My only wish would be for a proper booklet

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Reply #3 posted 02/01/15 7:01am

BartVanHemelen

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jwar said:

I applaud Maya for creating this latest iconic imagery of Prince.

.

"Iconic"? Seriously?

© Bart Van Hemelen
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Reply #4 posted 02/01/15 7:11am

terrig

I thought the art for AOA was a great representation of the album, it was clean and well done, and say what you will everyone was talking about those glasses. Mission accomplished smile

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Reply #5 posted 02/01/15 7:53am

Angelsoncrack

It kind of seems like Graffiti Bridge and Controversy's love child

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Reply #6 posted 02/01/15 8:20am

S3V3N

If we've learned anything over the years, it sounds like album art concepts come from Prince. ATWIAD - it's said he described the target and said "show me what you would do".

So AOA?

Concept - good and fun. But its potential iconic status is distracted by the need for too many in-references/details. The "albums as clouds" concept seems like something only a few will understand, and the meaning seems oddly insecure ("don't forget I have platinum records!"). Album seems to be about an alien that wakes up in the present after being in the future. Perhaps some fun/freaky clouds that are more futuristic sybols, instead.

Execution - Appears budget and/or resources were an issue (e.g. easy to use, recent photography of Prince, etc.). If nothing was made available, this was a Heculean challenge and the artist did a great job. Otherwise... its potential iconic status is distracted by a photoshop mashup of clip art. Proportions seem odd (head/body size).

Last album art w/tight concept/execution - MPLSSOUND.

That was fun w/many layers of meaning and the execution was fantastic.

Points off for not featuring a photo of Prince, though.

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Reply #7 posted 02/01/15 8:56am

thedance

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Yggor said:

My only wish would be for a proper booklet

I really miss a AOA cd-booklet as well... with the lyrics printed, etc...

why o' why did they not make any...??


sad

Prince 4Ever. heart
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Reply #8 posted 02/01/15 8:59am

mikeyaddict

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New Power Generations…
Comin str8 outta Preston...
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Reply #9 posted 02/01/15 2:10pm

williamb610

thedance said:

jwar said:

Maya Washington was in charge

poor Maya... sad


the silly girl with the Lovesex my jam speak... lol lol lol lol

Say what you will...but Maya is "hawt"...as Charlotte Anne Telepathy said.

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Reply #10 posted 02/01/15 2:26pm

V10LETBLUES

Perfect. It is as tacky and pedestrian as the album itself. It is important that an artist to look to the source for the cover inspiration.
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Reply #11 posted 02/01/15 3:50pm

funksterr

If the point of the artwork was for Prince to look as ridiculous and processed on the cover as he sounded on the album, then mission accomplished.

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Reply #12 posted 02/02/15 1:47am

RODSERLING

Frankly, the art of the whole project sucks terribly...

There is not even a booklet, and no clear picture of Prince, hidden on the front cover by his hideous wig and the glasses. On the back cover, we see him only far away...

And they didn't ever bother to make art for the singles...Only this hideous front cover for everything connected with the album...very cheap art concept.

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Reply #13 posted 02/02/15 2:40am

thedance

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what is the point showing the Purple Rain vinyls on the AOA front cover...?

.... and then not releasing it - the Purple Rain 2Cd re-master was cancelled afaik....

I had so high hopes to this re-master.....

sad.... neutral

Prince 4Ever. heart
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Reply #14 posted 02/02/15 3:19am

NouveauDance

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Perfunctory.

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Reply #15 posted 02/02/15 4:46am

MIRvmn

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RODSERLING said:

Frankly, the art of the whole project sucks terribly...


There is not even a booklet, and no clear picture of Prince, hidden on the front cover by his hideous wig and the glasses. On the back cover, we see him only far away...


And they didn't ever bother to make art for the singles...Only this hideous front cover for everything connected with the album...very cheap art concept.


It's a terrible photoshooped picture of Prince and those "3rdEye" glasses are just silly. It also bothers me that there's no tracklist on the back cover. Everything is wrong with the Art of this project.
Welcome 2 The Dawn
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Reply #16 posted 02/02/15 5:12am

Lordy

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I think it's fine.

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Reply #17 posted 02/02/15 6:07am

Aerogram

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thedance said:

what is the point showing the Purple Rain vinyls on the AOA front cover...?

.... and then not releasing it - the Purple Rain 2Cd re-master was cancelled afaik....

I had so high hopes to this re-master.....

sad.... neutral

Prince was telepathically saying:

"Buy this record, and if enough people do so, you'll get those babies behind me."

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Reply #18 posted 02/02/15 6:20am

iZsaZsa

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lol
What?
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Reply #19 posted 02/02/15 7:28am

thedance

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Aerogram said:

thedance said:

what is the point showing the Purple Rain vinyls on the AOA front cover...?

.... and then not releasing it - the Purple Rain 2Cd re-master was cancelled afaik....

I had so high hopes to this re-master.....

sad.... neutral

Prince was telepathically saying:

"Buy this record, and if enough people do so, you'll get those babies behind me."

So... we did not have the PR remaster and then we can blame the low AOA sales figures it did not happen..

yeah... could be true.... still sad. sad sad sad

Prince 4Ever. heart
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Reply #20 posted 02/02/15 11:03am

luvsexy4all

its ok ..but where can one find lyrics?

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Reply #21 posted 02/02/15 2:47pm

LikeAHornyPony
Would69

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the font is the worst part about it, looks like 5 min spent in photoshop

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