Not just the cover…

After reading more into the 'intermedial essay', I was made aware of the idea of not just focusing on the design printed on the face of the record sleeve.

The idea is that the design isn't just contained on the front panel, and if an intermedial design is done correctly with a serious attention to detail; it would likely extend past just the typography and photography. It could include the sleeve, the inner, the packing and the placement in a shop.

This approach would likely be rather off subject for the essay in the way I'm currently taking it, but it is worth considering it to help with reference for ideas and theories.

I was also introduced to the term 'parerga' or a 'parergon' which refers to a metophorical artistic frame, in which an instance in contained. The essay refereed to a record sleeve as a parergon for the music, in which the art of music inside could belong in or whether the design alone is a parergon and the music is it's own, even if the design has an intermedial link to it.

I have also been introduced to the term 'ekphrasis'  though so far, even with the help of a modern dictionary; I haven't a clue what it actually means and whether I could actually use it in support of my essay.

The essay references (so far) three main theorists; of whom I will likely look further into when looking more into theorists for my essay—these theorists are:

• Nicholas Cook
• Alan Licht
• Jacques Derrida 

The hunt has begun.

So as I dive into this dissertation, it would make little sense not to collate some secondary research from the lovely communities of the internet.

Quite luckily, I rather landed on my feet with this – finding directories of 1950's jazz records, small foundries of production information and quite a few documentaries along the way.

http://www.birkajazz.com/archive/bluenote1500.htm

Birka Jazz is proving a very good resource for me and this page in particular is absolutely stacked full of useful information and images. Though it's only about Blue Note Records, it still a very strong insight into the modernity of the 50's Jazz records.

I was thinking about making the essay focus on the modernity of American Jazz records and comparing it with modernity in design at that time through other mediums in america; though it could make an interesting comparison to compare the modernity in jazz records coming from american and
compare with the likes of England, Germany or even (bizarrely) Yugoslavia

http://www.birkajazz.com/archive/germany.htm

http://www.birkajazz.com/archive/otherCountries.htm

http://www.birkajazz.com/archive/england.htm

On top of these secondary sources, I was given an essay on 'intermedial' theories on record sleeves; which is proving a very interesting read, but it is also influencing the way I wish to mold the final title and synthesis of the dissertation.

Also, as a little treat; whilst looking for modernity in 1950's american design I may have stumbled across the worlds worst (and shortest) power point.
https://prezi.com/8b6mo-etw6ro/graphic-design-1950s-1960s/

One small blog post for man, one small blog post for mankind.

So, as a re-cap (not that you should need one) I'm focusing on the designs of the early jazz records, to see how their modernity may have, or have not influenced modern design.

Although my dissertation proposal is yet to be green lit, it currently stands at "Be-Bop Jazz Records of the 1950’s lead the way in modernity for typography and design structure through it’s expressionism and freedom—is the inspiration it supplied now prevalent in contemporary design and music? Or did it just create the cliché for the designs of cool jazz?" although I have a few ideas for how it might change from that. I also hope to look at the inter-medial possiblities of records – linking the freedom of the typography from so sleeves to the freedom of music inside them.

For example; I want to look at the modernity and typography of Reid Miles, especially on the more exotic sleeves like Indestructible by Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers; or really any of them as they all hold brilliant typography. Along with this, I feel it would make great sense to also research and include other areas of American Modernity in design from the 1950's.

Right now I'm stood on the very tip of the iceberg and I'm a little terrified – but here we go!

Let's get this over with.

Everyone knows, the first post of a blog is that strange self-loving "I'VE STARTED A BLOG" thing and aside from a few ideas for the future it contains very little of anything interesting.

Well this is where that changes!

Firstly, click that little play button and we'll begin.
This is the blog for my (Vincent Walden) dissertation research and this will be the first entry of many. You may notice; that if you followed my instructions you likely be listening to some pretty swell jazz right now – because that's exactly what I'm doing whilst writing this.

For my dissertation I want to focus upon the graphic design and modernity of 1950's jazz records, to see if their styles and ways help influence modern day design, or whether in fact it's the opposite and they merely created a cliché for 'cool jazz' records.

I wanted to do this because I have recently become a record collector, and through that I started collecting Jazz – noticing that the design on some of these record sleeves not only said no to the norm in the mid 20th century but also stuck a huge 'design middle finger' out at the rest of the record in the rack. This to me was exciting, drowning out the likes of Bon Jovi with strong photography mixed with obscure layouts.

I had began to notice that for some records their typography was great and very much unique; especially when I cross referenced it with modern typography. So the idea to cross reference with modern day to see if these records made an impact or whether they made a cliché of themselves sounded like a brilliant idea to me—even if my tutor did help me realise this, more than I had myself.

I will for example be looking at the likes of Blue Note Records, and examining the wonders that their sleeves hold. I will also be looking at more modern design, to hopefully see if the design held upon these records helped shape the design I know today.