Storm Thorgerson
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Storm Thorgerson (born 1944) is an English photographer and designer, noted for his work on rock album sleeves, especially for Pink Floyd.
He was born in Potters Bar, Middlesex. He went to school at Summerhill Free School and then Brunswick Primary, Cambridge, followed by secondary education at local grammar Cambridge High School for Boys. Storm earned a BA Honours in English and Philosophy from Leicester University (1963 - 1966) and finally an MA in film and TV from the Royal College of Art, London (1966 - 1969).
In 1968, Storm and Aubrey "Po" Powell formed Hipgnosis (pronounced like hypnosis), a graphic design studio specialising in creative photography. This creative company predominately worked within the music business designing the album covers for rock 'n' roll bands such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Genesis, Black Sabbath, 10cc, Paul McCartney, and Peter Gabriel amongst many others.
Applying his creativity to moving images, Storm formed Green Back Films with Po and Peter Christopherson in 1983. Despite producing numerous music videos for the likes of Paul Young, Nik Kershaw, Robert Plant, Big Country and others, the company was went bust in 1985.
In 1985, undeterred, Storm went solo and continued directing music videos. His direction for the Pink Floyd video Learning to Fly won the best director award at the American Billboard Awards. Branching out, Storm began directing commercials too. His direction for the Tennants' commercial "One Great Thing" won The Golden Rose in Scotland. Storm's work extended into documentaries, such as the two-part "Art of Tripping" for Channel 4 in 1993 which explored the connections between artists and drugs and an hour long science documentary "Rubber Universe" for Equinox. The following year, Storm directed for Pink Floyd six short films to be screened through the duration of their world tour.
'When asked what I personally do I reply in a variety of ways. For Her Majesty's Customs I am a photographer. For the music press - a graphic designer. For film people I'm a director. For my mother an artist! For my loved ones, a pain in the butt. Sarcastic musicians see me as an organising ponce who doesn't do much actual work. True believers, ie employees, however, know I make images. I think of ideas, often in collaboration, and turn them into tangible visuals, be they still photographs or movies".
- Storm Thorgerson, "Mind over Matter"
Storm Thorgerson continued creating and producing album covers for Pink Floyd, Anthrax, Alan Parsons, Dream Theater, Ian Dury, Cranberries, Ween, Catherine Wheel, Phish, The Mars Volta and many, many more.
He has one son Bill with his first partner Libby and is now married to Barbie who has two children. They live in North London.
Bibliography
- Mind over Matter: The Images Of Pink Floyd - ISBN 1860748333
- Walk Away Renee - ISBN 0905895088
- Eye of the Storm: The Album Graphics of Storm Thorgerson - ISBN 1860742580
- 100 Best Album Covers - ISBN 0751307068
- The Album Cover Album series
External Link
A gallery of some of Thorgerson's famous album covers (http://www.jmlondon.com/pages/thumbnails/23675-a.html)de:Hipgnosis