The visual paradox of intangible art
Making invisible crafts recognizable is a delicate matter, and it does not always work out for the better
Nothing but a sharp, sonorous intention among plenty of blurred creative uncertainties. Or, in simpler words, some reflections on covers, artwork, branding, and the aesthetic of your poetic pop music companion’s award-winning book, dear Intenswe!
(Me: Intensia, you: Intenswe, we: the Intenswes; our community: the Intense Inside Club. Gentle mic off instead of a dramatic mic drop, because gear has feelings too!)
THE DELICATE TASK OF VISUALIZING ART THAT WE CAN’T GRASP
Artwork and cover, two pretty interchangeable words.
The latter, I must admit, I do not like very much. It sounds as if the art is something so bad or cringeworthy that it needs to be hidden or covered.
I don’t know. I have never found peace with that expression.
And then there is the whole thing with music covers. Oh dear.
In my opinion, a sonorous piece of art, also known as a song or track, is something unique, special, one of a kind.
Carefully produced and designed with specific components, it deserves to be appreciated and respected as it is.
In its signature state.
Is that too much to ask?
Sure, it is fun to sing, whether as a hobby or for training purposes, but if the intention is not primarily to express genuine appreciation or love for that piece of music, it does not really feel very respectful to the original work to me.
I honestly do not get the point of cover bands or cover songs on the internet. Theoretically, no one should be allowed to reproduce a copyrighted piece of music without explicit permission, especially if it is for monetization, fame, or exposure. Live performance gigs, gala bands, or similar formats are somewhat acceptable. The value lies in the entertainment rather than simply replaying recorded music, provided that at least royalties are properly cleared. Still, the intention does not seem primarily appreciative toward the original author(s) or the copyright holder(s).
Those hardworking people who wrote, produced, invested, and received so much resonance that they achieved their totally deserved huge recognition might not support the results of those covering musicians, and it would honestly, totally be their right to feel that way.
No offense, cover music world. This would not be that simple or even possible in other sectors, but music has always been an easy target for, let’s say, very freestyle practices, somehow. Those authors and copyright holders basically have to accept and deal with it because this has become common practice.
Anyway, I think it is worth remembering or pointing out that fan art is a form of interaction, something passionate, where the main interest is to be seen and accomplished by the artist or other fans to deepen the relationship, while the music cover thing is just another business.
There are plenty of accounts that build entire professional models around that, where the line between appreciation, toleration, and personal gain is so blurred it aches a bit to witness.
I’m not even talking about Artificial Intelligence at this point. There is so much to reflect on, I’ll probably do that separately one day.
For now, just a thought: “Be yourself they said, everyone else is already taken.” And then they invented AI so they can prompt around and copy from real, genuine, human creativity in a matter of seconds?!?
Oooohmmm…
Let’s just say it is really wild what is going on at the moment. Some people think this is a shortcut and a further democratization of art.
But how can a repurposing and mixing tool of preexisting copyrighted material, which probably does so without consent or retribution to the authors or rights holders, be of advantage?
To emulate or prompt a few lines of whatever does not make anyone an artist. It might give a quick illusion of artistry, but it does not really mean a thing in the long run, because it does not come from the heart or soul.
Art is supposed to be a testament to humanity. To make us feel something and to let us connect. Because we have emotions and machines do not. Connecting through synthetic stuff, which is basically a derivative copy of something else, is everything but fair, natural, appealing, or honorable.
As a music artist, singer, songwriter, award-winning vocal coach, recognized vocational teacher for singers and songwriters in Germany, and award-winning author, I do not really get all these “shortcuts.”
Why not learn some crafts, singing, composing, or playing instruments to write some bangers themselves instead of publicly adorning themselves, directly or indirectly, with someone else’s efforts and creativity?
Anyway, that is a whole different story.
The artwork of a song or a book has always been and still is a very delicate matter, even in times of ebooks and streaming.
You create a piece of art, pour heart, soul, resources, and dedication into it, and then it needs a visualization.
Or even more than one, depending on current trends trying to push and sell physical sound carriers as collectibles.
Not to mention music videos, lyric visualizers, merch.
Personally, I do not like to make visuals about myself in my art. I do not even appear in music videos or other artwork.
Because it is not about me. It is about what I can make you feel and how we can connect through it. I do not need ego boosts or to see my face everywhere. If anything, I really love knowing that someone appreciates and supports what I do because it resonates with them. That is the whole point.
My intent is to use those means to make the experience as memorable, relatable, and emotional as possible. So I can already spoil a bit. It will be about nature elements, tiny everyday details put into scene, and simple but evocative sceneries that match the vibe, energy, intention, message, and storytelling. What else :)
For my award-winning introductory book of lyric excerpts from pop songs in progress, WORDS TO THINK. OR TO SING., I opted for an abstract, modern, and minimalistic yet dynamic design.
It looks neat and simple at first glance, but it holds a lot of meaning for me.
Here is the link to Amazon in case you have not seen its artwork yet: https://www.amazon.com/-/de/dp/3911445008/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0
I wanted it to feel modern, minimalistic, dynamic, and clear about the topic all at once.
That is why I chose a clean white background with scattered colored music notes. To me, they symbolize both the work in progress nature of the book and the various moods, vibes, and topics it touches. They also represent the melodies and lovely different people it can unite into our wonderful community of heartfelt souls, kindred spirits, and curious minds I like to call The Intense Inside Club.
Would you have ever imagined all this behind its surface? :)
I went on a virtual book tour this summer, and many kind people complimented not only the excerpts but also the appearance of it.
This made me reflect further on the fact that the first impression still seems to count a lot.
Sensory and content overload or not, people really do care about these details.
So there is still hope for the visual part of abstract art. It can be deep and simple at the same time and truly reach hearts. Oh, how delightful.
Whether it is a sour green background with a simple word font or a super fancy (photo)graphic concept with five alternate collectible artwork versions…
In the end, branding is pretty much what we make of it.
Oh sorry, I meant what we market or convey of it.
A lot of music and book covers look barely considered or poorly executed, people probably would not waste a single second on them if they were not already everywhere. They probably owe their visibility to marketing, PR, and good storytelling. That might be what made them somehow iconic, but artistically, many of them, WTF, honestly.
How do you feel about cover songs or the current landscape of visual branding in music art?
Are music covers honoring the art, or just borrowing its shine?
In these fast paced times, is it relevant or important at all, or just a placeholder, a marker to recognize, besides the title, what it is about?
Or is this part of branding an art of its own?
Is it possible to properly visualize something actually meant to be felt?
Thanks again for being here with me. You are a very appreciated member of the INTENSE INSIDE CLUB, Intensia’s little online corner for curious minds, passionate music lovers, deep thinkers, heartfelt humans, creative souls and kindred spirits.
Updates come to you regularly, though only a few times a month at most, when my inner voice really, truly insists I should.
I fully trust in what we have, and don’t think that you or your mailbox need to be constantly reminded of me or anything :) .
The posts offer some general reflections, tips, impulses or the evolution of a song fragment from the book, until it is released and ready to stream, one track at a time.
If you can invest a few free hours to dive into something raw, minimalistic, and touching, maybe even take some time to breathe and reflect, get your copy of WORDS TO THINK. OR TO SING. on Amazon 📖🎶 https://a.co/d/dCMPlW5.
The lyric snippets are paired with short reflections on their meanings and even include some space for you to jot down your own thoughts or sketches.
This might also be the one and only award-winning book with a no-hangover guarantee, because it is actually the beginning of a multifaceted story and does not simply end with the last page.
To inspiring conversations and many meaningful moments together.
In intensity,
yours
Intensia
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