This is the fourth post in a small series of previously unpublished short essays to feature a selection of objects that have served as inspiration for designers. Each item would have about 150 or so words written to describe them and what inspiration they provided. The book unfortunately didn’t get published, and I thought it’d be great to share some of the shorts in a series of posts here on our Bulletin. 

4.

A few years ago, while doing research on midcentury design, I discovered that Josef Albers had worked on many record covers. I found these two, complete with records in excellent condition, and bought them. Though I coveted them mainly for art and design, they also hold some pretty amazing jazz style music, which I listen to nearly every weekend at home (I work primarily to jazz at my studio too).  

For me, the art on the covers is the perfect summation of the sounds they hold, all of which is conveyed through the basic means of image making in high-contrast color. Scale, proportion, and proximity all visually suggest the movement of the music. I could only hope to be able to make something like it some day.