Contemporary Electronic Music Cover Art

In the fall of 2017, I enrolled in a course at Columbia University that is required for undergraduate students titled “Masterpieces of Western Art,” often referred to as Art Humanities. The final assignment for this class was a paper in which students were to argue that a certain piece or pieces of art ought to be included in the syllabus. Artists, themes, and pieces currently included in the curriculum are as follows: Parthenon, Pantheon, Amiens, Michelangelo, Raphael, Bruegel, Bernini, Artemisia Gentileschi, Rembrandt, Goya, Monet, Orientalism, Picasso, Photography & Avant-Garde, Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright, Pollock, Andy Warhol & Postmodernism, Film & New Media

Below is the essay that I submitted where I discuss the benefits of including cover art for contemporary electronic music, specifically emphasizing the ability to expand the application after the course has concluded.

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Students that are enrolled in Art Humanities generally exit the semester struggling to apply artistic concepts to modern pieces, which they purposefully or unintentionally encounter, due to the perception that the art examined in class is archaic and outdated. Excessively modern examples that maintain applicability and relevancy to the arc of the curriculum would free Art Humanities form the bounds of museums and into the vastness of everyday life. Cover art for contemporary electronic music, if integrated into the current syllabus, would fill this immense omission and leave students increasingly motivated to apply Art Humanities themes to what they see each day. Immediate primary sources, in both lyrics and music, offer amplified potency in the overall analysis and can support students in their search for meaning within the art.

The existence of these additional primary sources, moreover, necessitates the inclusion of cover art in order to complete the categorical analysis and narrative element of the wider piece. Dr. Robert Kraut, a professor at The Ohio State University, shared his definition of “explaining an artwork” when he wrote that it is similar to “explaining a component of an organism, noting complex interactions among parts” (Kraut 690). The process of classifying artwork, which Dr. Kraut refers to as “artworld ontology,” necessitates “those entities involved in the explanation of our experience of, and critical engagement with, artworks” (Kraut 701). In turn, in order to craft a complete narrative of a work and classify it within a certain subcategory of the art realm, the inspector must analyze each of the components that the viewer will consume as a part of the art. The concept of including cover art to understand “narrativity” in the musical realm is elaborated upon by Dr. David Nicholls, previously a Professor of Music at the University of Southampton, who claimed that “narrativity” can be “rendered through multiple media, including lyrics, music, prose, and art work” (Nicholls 301). Therefore, in addition to functioning as a critical piece in the classification of the broader artwork itself, cover art also inhibits a false understanding of the art of music through a more complete examination of each of its individual parts.

The uniqueness of cover art within the context of contemporary electronic music, as opposed to other genres, is founded upon its supposed incongruous comparison to and placement beside renowned artists like Raphael. It is precisely this discontinuity, combined with the notion that contemporary electronic music is often mocked for its presumed simplicity, that broadens the student’s perspective and encourages further expansion of what is perceived as art. The value of contemporary electronic music is often discounted, primarily as a result of the accentuation effect which is a heuristic that assigns all of the characteristics of a group to each item within that group and heightens the impact of these characteristics. This results in many mature electronic songs being perceived in a similar way as the popular, infantile tracks which have received the most widespread and negative press coverage. Due to this aspect, students could perceive the cover art as an alternative method of investigating the genre, as the cover art captures “in a single image, whatever the album was about, and whatever messages the musicians hoped to express, both explicitly and implicitly” (Murphy 4). In turn, the breaking down of the stereotypes for contemporary electronic music heighten the ability to circumvent the similar conviction that there is little application to the Art Humanities curriculum beyond the art examined in class.

The 2017 song “More Than You Know” by house artists Axel Hedfors and Sebastian Ingrosso, who are most commonly referred to by their stage name Axwell /\ Ingrosso, presents cover art which unreservedly embodies the overall theme of the song. The direction in which the figures gaze brings the song’s meaning to the forefront of the image, with Axwell looking upward and Ingrosso staring toward the viewer. Axwell is representing foresight and omniscience, which appears in the first verse as “I saw it coming, from miles away,” and guides his face toward the light which symbolizes understanding (Axwell /\ Ingrosso). Ingrosso, instead, embodies the second verse which is that “good intentions are sweet and pure, but they could never tame a fire like yours” and stares outward as if to receive justification from the viewers to whom he is explaining the validity of the means which led to certain actions (Axwell /\ Ingrosso).​​​​​​​

Figure 1: Axwell /\ Ingrosso, "More Than You Know"

This juxtaposition provides an unnerving resemblance to Raphael’s “School of Athens,” where Plato is “pointing to Heaven and the supreme cause” while Aristotle extends his right hand forward “to [symbolize] ethics, which calms the emotions and moderates human souls with the proportion of virtue” (Bellori). By viewing these two images in parallel, it is recognized that both of the figures in each case are striving, albeit through different methods, toward something admirable, they are united in their shared state of an unattained goal. The commotion of the wider scene, in turn, is reconciled through the harmony created by the two figures.

Figure 2A: Raphael, "School of Athens"(Close-up of Plato and Aristotle)

Figure 2B: Raphael, "School of Athens"

The use of light is present in further areas of the image as well, and its meaning is most potent in its absence. Notably, the light is drawn from the top of the picture and the overall level of luminosity decreases vertically, with several objects at the bottom of the image being construed by the deprivation of light. This serves to convey the larger message of the movement away from the modern party-oriented lifestyle that is brought forward by the objects on the ground and toward the enlightened, refined existence that is awakened once one is able to capitalize on their maturity. A similar message is discussed in Art Humanities, specifically in Rembrandt’s “The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp,” where light protrudes from the source of teaching and onto those who strive to attain knowledge. The open book on the lower right corner of the painting frames the image with the concept of knowledge, providing credibility to the doctors, and emphasizes the enlightened state that their profession has achieved. On this point, Axwell /\ Ingrosso diverge from Rembrandt, as the space in which the two figures are displayed — suspended in an awkward median between falling to the unfulfilling party lifestyle and the knowledge-based existence with their significant others — is not unreservedly filled with light and hints that, perhaps, they are yet to achieve the improved reality.

Figure 3: Rembrandt, “The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp”

Smoke Filled Room, a 2015 song by Mako, depicts the process of a maturing female reconciling her previously innocent outlook with the new perspective that has been forced upon her through the contemporary party scene. The song conveys this notion of change when Mako sings “I heard about a girl, buried her dolls and lost her curls,” along with the bewilderment that onlookers possess, asking “how could you be that girl I knew?” (Mako). Obscurity is a prominent theme in the cover art as well, as the female in the image could be portrayed as either innocent or mature, either ignorant of the nature of man or unwilling to grasp that nature. This ambiguousness is a product of several of the artist’s methods, one of which is the covering up of the face via the female’s hair which removes the ability for the viewer to perceive her sentiment vis-à-vis a facial expression. In addition, the exposure of the female’s midsection initially prompts the opinion that she is inviting her newly sexualized image, though the intentions of her hand are uncertain — either covering up her midsection or drawing up her shirt further. Instead of offering a clear gesture, the picture expresses an uncomfortable median which is only clarified through the opinion of the viewer.

Figure 4: Mako, "Smoke Filled Room"

Francisco Goya acknowledged similar uncomfortable dichotomies through his art, which “are defined […] by their contradictoriness,” which “offer the artist and the viewer no comforting homilies” (Crow). One example of this is “Madhouse,” where Goya utilizes classical poses and dark colors to juxtapose insanity with the classical conception of beauty. In a similar way, the female in Mako’s picture is wrestling with the insanity that comes with acknowledging the way the world functions and is capturing this moment in a classical pose that embodies her struggle. Her pose, in fact, parallels that of Mary in Hans Memling’s painting “The Annunciation,” where Mary is navigating the transitionary process and is unwilling, at least initially, to eagerly accept and fulfill her proposed role. In addition, they both point toward one of the main symbols of this transition, with Mary opening her left hand to the Bible, which is the foundation of her religious beliefs, and the female in Mako’s work placing her right hand over lower midsection and left hand on her chest, both areas which are frequently depicted sexually. Mako crafts a complex narrative that is embodied by female within the cover art, providing the listener of the song with a visual display of her struggle that would, in its absence, leave a void in the overall understanding of the art.

Figure 5: Goya, "Madhouse"

Figure 6: Hans Memling, "The Anunciation"

Another piece of cover art that places sexual encounters at a forefront is The Chainsmokers’ “Closer,” which reflects the dynamic that physical interactions play in the context of relationships. Often, the intended meaning of the song is misunderstood due to the carefree sound of the chords and the general positive societal sentiment regarding sexual interaction. Instead of casting a positive light on these occurrences, The Chainsmokers aim to highlight the negative impacts that result from a relationship that is tied together by the singular thread of physical attraction. Andrew Taggart, the vocalist on the song, initially sings “pull me closer in the back seat of your Rover,” which alludes to the sexual interactions and physical attraction between him and his significant other, but then follows with the statement “that I know you can’t afford,” bringing to light the conflicts that have drawn their relationship apart (The Chainsmokers). The cover art, then, cannot be interpreted at face value — the couple is unable to truly embrace and support each other as the image initially displays — but actually can be viewed in a questioning manner. Manet’s painting “Olympia” provides a stark parallel to this, where he displays a prostitute as a similar odd idolization of sexual desires that perplexes the viewer. Closer’s cover art, therefore, is a satirical glorification of the destructive and unsustainable foundation that the relationship is built upon.

Figure 7: The Chainsmokers, "Closer"

This notion is also further developed through the somewhat impressionist nature of the image itself, which allows the viewer to gain insight on the unique expression of emotions that the couple are feeling. At the bottom of the image, the paint of the bodies washes into the canvas itself, alluding to a similar decomposition and analysis of their relationship as they reflect on the components that have built it up thus far. When the listener hears the lyrics and considers the sentiment of the artists, they are aware that they are seeing the details of the specific emotional structure between the couple. The cover art, in turn, conveys a similar distinctiveness, as it is only able to contain the expression of the emotions of these two individuals at the specific time that it was made. The image displays their physical embrace, which is the only circumstance that leads them to believe that their relationship is built on solid ground, and without this physical component they would fade apart like the colors at the bottom of the image. Jackson Pollock, discussed in Art Humanities class, provides an excellent example of this unique form of artwork, with his piece “Autumn Rhythm” being the matchless expression of emotions that he was feeling at that point in time. If viewers fail to acknowledge the depth and that this cover art provides, then they lack the pieces to build a complete narrative surrounding the combined pieces of art.

Figure 8: Jackson Pollack, "Autumn Rythm"

Art Humanities is not meant to be confined to the constricting curriculum that is established through the syllabus, but should permeate the lives of students by providing a new, general approach of examining the way things are created. Through the inclusion of contemporary electronic cover art in the Art Humanities curriculum, students have an example of how to apply artistic concepts to a setting that was previously unimaginable, which expands the range of visual artwork that can be viewed with greater critical depth. In doing so, Art Humanities will be able to further engrain itself in the lives of the students that enroll in the course and will establish its place as a fundamental piece in the wider Columbia University curriculum.

Works Cited

• Axwell /\ Ingrosso. More Than You Know. Virgin EMI Records, 2017.

• Eisenman, Stephen. Crow, Thomas. Nineteenth Century Art: A Critical History. New York: Thames & Hudson, 201. Print.

• G.P. Bellori, Descrizione delle immagini dipinte da Raffaello d’Urbino nelle amere del Palazzo Aposolico Vaticano (Rome, 1695). An English translation by A. Sedgwick Wohl of the passage on the School of Athens is published in M. Hall (ed.), Raphael’s School of Athens (Cambridge, 197), pp. 48–56.

• Kraut, Robert. “Ontology: Music and Art.” The Monist, vol. 95, no. 4, 2012, pp. 684–710. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/42751239.

• Mako. Smoke Filled Room. Ultra Records, 2015.

• Murphy, Sean. “Vinyl. Album. Cover. Art: A Definitive History and Showcase in a Genre-Shattering Collective.” PopMatters, May 11, 2017, Performing Arts Periodicals Database, http://ezproxy.cul.columbia.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1913558888?accountid=10226.

• Nicholls, David. “Narrative Theory as an Analytical Tool in the Study of Popular Music Texts.” Music & Letters, vol. 88, no. 2, 2007, pp. 297–315. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/30163649.

• The Chainsmokers. Closer. Columbia Records, 2016.