UnCovered Interviews - 2009 Year in Review

UnCovered Interviews - 2009 Year in Review, by Mike Goldstein, RockPoP Gallery

Whew - what a year!

Now that I've spent my first full year here in Portland, I can honestly say that I feel like this is "home" and that my future will be based as much on the new relationships I've made here as on those I brought from the East coast. As many of us in the rock music-related fine arts and collectibles market have felt the pinch of what's happened to MOST of the overall art market (although it seems that rich folks still have the $$ to buy incredibly-expensive art and collectibles - bless them), we've all done what was needed to keep our businesses moving in a forward motion and continue to present truly imaginative and well-produced products in all categories to music fans and collectors around the world. Graphic artists and photographers continue to impress us with their talents and, as long as the recorded music business continues to understand and nurture the intense connection between modern music and the imagery created to promote it, album cover art, animation, and other production-related artistry will provide a long-lasting connection between the two.    

As my time was needed to focus my business on facing the challenges of a recession, I was unable to spend more time interviewing as many creatives as I had hoped about their works done for music-industry clients. To that end, I must apologize to my readers for the scarcity of articles published in 2009. As we seem to be emerging a bit from the economic downturn that has kept many of us from spending much time and resource in pursuit of our passions, I am committed to working hard in 2010 to bring you more of the stories you've grown to expect from me, and so I do hope that you'll continue to check out the UnCovered blog either here or on the other friendly web sites/blogs that distribute my writing. I've already started on gathering the information needed to bring you more of these unique stories soon, so your patience will be rewarded, I promise!

Until then, here's a recap of the interview articles that were published in 2009, so if you missed any of them when they were first released, here's your chance to gain a greater understanding of what went in to making some of your all-time favorite record covers. Enjoy, and share them with your friends!

Don Clark/Foo Fighters - http://rockpopgallery.typepad.com/rockpop_gallery_news/2009/02/cover-story-interview-foo-fighters-echoes-silence-patience-grace-with-designartwork-by-don-clark.html

Ioannis/Allman Brothers - http://rockpopgallery.typepad.com/rockpop_gallery_news/2009/03/cover-story-interview-the-allman-brothers-band-where-it-all-begins-with-designartwork-by-ioannis.html

Simon Larbalestier/The Pixies - http://rockpopgallery.typepad.com/rockpop_gallery_news/2009/04/cover-story-interview-the-pixies-doolittle-with-photography-by-simon-larbalestier.html

Bob Heimall/The Doors - http://rockpopgallery.typepad.com/rockpop_gallery_news/2009/09/uncovered-interview-the-doors-13-with-designs-by-bob-heimall.html

3-part interview with Ernie Cefalu - Pacific Eye & Ear

Part 1/Jesus Christ Superstar - http://rockpopgallery.typepad.com/rockpop_gallery_news/2009/05/cover-story-interview-jesus-christ-superstar-with-designs-by-ernie-cefalu.html

Part 2/Rolling Stones Lips & Tongue - http://rockpopgallery.typepad.com/rockpop_gallery_news/2009/07/uncovered-interview-part-2-rolling-stones-lips-logo-by-ernie-cefalu.html

Part 3/Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath and more - http://rockpopgallery.typepad.com/rockpop_gallery_news/2009/10/uncovered-interview-the-pacific-eye-ear-years-with-designs-by-ernie-cefalu-and-drew-struzan.html

About UnCovered -

Our ongoing series of interviews will give you, the music and art fan, a look at "The Making Of" the illustrations, photographs and designs of many of the most-recognized and influential images that have served to package and promote your all-time-favorite recordings.

In each UnCovered feature, we'll meet the artists, designers and photographers who produced these works of art and learn what motivated them, what processes they used, how they collaborated (or fought) with the musical acts, their management, their labels, etc. - all of the things that influenced the final product you saw then and still see today.

We hope that you enjoy these looks behind the scenes of the music-related art business and that you'll share your stories with us and fellow fans about what role these works of art - and the music they covered - played in your lives.  

All images featured in this UnCovered story are Copyright 1970 - 2009, Ernie Cefalu (Black Sabbath); Copyright 2008-9, Don Clark (Foo Fighters); Copyright 2009, Simon Larbalestier (The Pixies) - All rights reserved. Except as noted, all other text Copyright 2009 - Mike Goldstein & RockPoP Gallery (www.rockpopgallery.com) - All rights reserved.

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