'Anatomy of Melancholy'
Album artwork for Jan Swerts
Concept by Jan Swerts
The album contains a serie songs driven by melancholy.
Each song is dedicated to one of Jan's heroes, who's work also has a tendency towards melancholy.
The booklet contains a serie corresponding portraits.
PROCES - COVERIMAGE
The idea for the portraitserie was clear from the start but the coverimage was a search.
Jan's proposal was to use an medical image of William Fairland & Francis Gibson (1869).
I like the image but wanted to make my own version.
I suggested the black sea and in my opinion it had to be 'Jan Swerts'.
'No way!', replayed the modest musican, "I don't want my face on the cover."
After some negotiation we agreaded to give it a try.
'As long as it doesn't resembes too much...'
Oops...
In the beginning Jan wasn't so pleased but after a while he got used to it and even liked it very much... Whew...
Then Jan suggested to put a hospital on an island on the back of the cover.
Nice idea, it reminded me of the painting 'The isle of Death' by Arnold Böcklin.
This was a good inspiration for the mood.