09/17/2005
It's Official
A Steven Klein / Giovannin Bianco / Madonna collaboration. Thoughts?
(thanks trent)
Posted 7:53 PM EST by Andy Towle in Art & Design, Music | Permalink
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Now we really know how she hurt her collarbone.
Posted by: Jason | Sep 18, 2005 11:02:19 AM
Well she's in ecstasy about something but it seems to be happening down somewhere in front of her .... and her arm is saying, "stop...don't stop." Which is how I feel about her career.
Posted by: Scoop | Sep 18, 2005 11:57:53 AM
wow. did she get Tori Amos to double for the cover shoot? Those locks are on fire. I'm usually down with Madge's style choices, but Little Orphan Annie hair? I wonder if the rest of her matches...
Posted by: brenner | Sep 18, 2005 12:15:29 PM
Christ there are some bitchy little queens on this board!
The cover is gorgeous. I'm 38 now and certainly don't expect to be wheeled into the nursing home at 47.
Madonna will always be interesting...
Posted by: Tiki | Sep 18, 2005 12:43:25 PM
Interesting. The comment above about Madge banking on the gays is even moreso...i know some san fransican queers who are actively campaigning against her for turning her back on us after an alleged verbal attack she made about kiki and herb at a recent birthday party.
don't know if she really said it or what she meant by it, but I can still enjoy her music.
Posted by: TeKay | Sep 18, 2005 12:51:26 PM
I don't know. I see the orange hair and pink outfit, and all I can think is Karen from Will&Grace: "Honey what's this, what are you wearing, what's going on here?"
Posted by: Rob | Sep 18, 2005 1:11:24 PM
Um, can I get some help, I am looking for a promised review of "Brokeback Mountian", does anyone work in this office?
Posted by: Patrick | Sep 18, 2005 1:18:17 PM
I think the art director's name is Giovanni Bianco, with no n at the end of Giovanni.
Beautiful image. She's back, targeting her daughter's age group now. Are we having a Saint Lourdes Full of Grace superstar soon??
Posted by: monkus | Sep 18, 2005 1:55:27 PM
madonna's graphics have almost never been even remotely good.
she has no eye for art direction.
this looks like a 1/2-ass flyer.
but i love her.
Posted by: a.j. | Sep 18, 2005 2:22:59 PM
Well, anyone who thinks Madonna is too old to do [fill in the blank]---look on the bright side: Perhaps you'll die young.
Posted by: Matthew Rettenmund | Sep 18, 2005 2:33:13 PM
I will confess to being underwhelmed. Its one of those "let's hire a name photographer" and then proceed to make mediocrity out of his work. Anyone could have taken this personality-less image. Is it Madonna? Is it Madonna having just been thrown from a horse? Is she trying to make us relive the 70s again? The bad lettering on the Madonna, called an "inline" font, looks terrible. The handlettered title is very nice, personal and jazzy at the same time. And despite those criticisms, I rather like it. Its iconic in some bright, flashy way, nostalgic,and very Olivia Newton-John.
I actually went to a music store yesterday (this is an event) and can't say that I was taken in by any cover art. If I saw this, I suspect I would be inclined to buy it, go home, put on my best lame tuxedo and dance the night away, as it was intended.
Posted by: homo | Sep 18, 2005 2:34:57 PM
Photography looks good. Disco ball "O" is lame. The typography of her name is too heavy. And the sprawling figure and handwritten title is a bit too much like Peter Saville's later work for Suede. Can't say I love it.
I beg to differ with those who say her art direction/design has never been good -- she's worked with some of the best in the business: Fabien Baron, M/M, Carin Goldberg.
Posted by: Kurt | Sep 18, 2005 3:30:54 PM
At least she's not doing a yoga pose. While I like the initial graphic impact of the image, I don't think the pose does Madonna justice. It looks like her right arm is growing out of the back of her head. She's a very versital and beautiful woman, and I don't think the artwork is taking advantage of that.
Posted by: Michael | Sep 18, 2005 3:32:21 PM
I love how this topic gets 39 responses (at last count) and gay teens getting beaten up, equal rights for marriage and the latest BushRoveRobertsonCondiRummyCheney act of intellectual violence against gay people get maybe 6 posts.
I hope they show Madonna videos at whatever our version of Auschwitz is going to look like...
Posted by: Becks07 | Sep 18, 2005 4:13:11 PM
Matthew, as usual sharp and witty... by the way, loved your novels. I can't wait for the movie they made of BOY CULTURE.
About the "thoughts" about Madonna's album cover and obviously HER in general... I can only think of what Salvador Dalí said once: "El termómetro del éxito no es más que la envidia de los descontentos." (The thermometer of success is merely the jealousy of the malcontents.)
Posted by: Rickie | Sep 18, 2005 4:41:16 PM
I really love it. It captures the vibe of the dancefloor. Several touches make it it memorable from an aesthetic perspective: the uncrossed 'A's; the moderne disco ball 'O'; and finally the handwritten title as if from a journal or diary (i.e. confession).
Posted by: albert | Sep 18, 2005 7:13:28 PM
I'm sorry but the "f" in confessions looks like a Tampon string hanging out of her panties...
Posted by: MervynLeroy | Sep 18, 2005 7:50:51 PM
damn, everyone's an art director. Can only imagine how many hackney critics will come outta the veneered woodwork once the album drops...hold onto your pearls ladies...
It's a visually stunning cover; what's the sense in clawing away at an interpretive represetation of her latest tracks? Can't it just be what it is?
Posted by: jason | Sep 18, 2005 9:42:47 PM
Well I'm excited about the album, and I like the cover art.
I've decided to include the lrdarystar tag to differentiate myself from the other Robs, hehe.
Posted by: Rob (lrdarystar) | Sep 18, 2005 10:31:24 PM
Why are we caring about any of this?
Posted by: Scott | Sep 18, 2005 10:51:32 PM
Because she is Madonna!
Posted by: DocVic | Sep 18, 2005 11:40:30 PM
From madonnamad.com's forum: http://savefile.com/files/9727353
Posted by: ekstraordinaran. | Sep 19, 2005 1:17:23 AM
that's so funny and true,mervynleroy
Posted by: marcel | Sep 19, 2005 4:27:52 AM
I heard it was all the rage in Madonnabad, we'll just have to see how well it does in Gaymanistan (where apparently there are far more insurgents). Freedoms on the March!
Posted by: Jeff | Sep 19, 2005 9:13:47 AM
Fierce. I can see Madge rocking the red hair.
Posted by: MT | Sep 19, 2005 9:22:36 AM