Maximalist Text-Based Art, In the Age of Streaming?!

Typography say f*** it and takes front and center on these covers

Text-based art can be straight and to the point, or abstract and poetic. From Barbara Kruger to Jenny Holzer, Ed Ruscha, Christopher Wool, and Sean Landers, the list goes on and continues into album art. Copy has always been an integral part of a record, accompanying the artwork at hand, displaying the name of the artist on the cover to lyrics and credits filling the inner contents on the gatefold and inserts. Vice versa, sometimes strong typography is all it takes to make a great album cover, as seen below.

Talking Heads True Stories released 1986 on EMI. Artwork by Bridget DeSoccio and M & Co. Design by Jeffrey Kent Ayeroff and Michael Hodgson.

The trajectory of typography in the age of streaming has taken the shape of a learning curve, falling off covers due to their small illegible size on mobile and the artist’s name incorporated into the UX design. But some artists are rebelling and leaning all the way left, experimenting with text in a maximalist way. See They Hate Change’s album campaign for Finally, New and Horsegirl’s “Ballroom Dance Scene / Sea Life Sandwich Boy”. Zoomed in, these covers challenge fans to find easter eggs within the maze of text, while from afar, at a penny size, the text creates engaging amorphous shapes, shouting to be read.

Explore graphic text-based album art, both minimalist and maximalist, throughout the ages below.

Jacques Dutronc eponymous debut album released 1966 on Disques Vogues. Photography by Jean-Marie Périer.

The Black Keys Brothers released 2010 on Nonesuch Records. Art Direction & Artwork by Michael Carney.

The Koreatown Oddity Little Dominiques Nosebleed released 2020 on Stones Throw Records. Art by Mark Bijasa.

XTC Go 2 released 1978 on Virgin. Design by Hipgnosis.

Explosions in The Sky The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place released 2003 on Temporary Residence. Artwork by Esteban Rey.

Paramore Riot! released 2007 on Fueled by Ramen. Art Direction, Design & Type by Mark Obriski.

Horsegirl “Ballroom Dance Scene / Sea Life Sandwich Boy” released 2020 on Dropkick Records. Artist credit unknown.

The Tony Williams Lifetime (Turn it Over) released 1970 on Polydor. Art direction and design by Sid Maurer. Photography by Bruce Sauer.

Todd Rundgren Faithful released 1976 on Bearsville. Artist credit unknown.

They Hate Change Finally, New released 2022 on Jagjaguwar. Design by Michael Ryan Brennan.

Deb Never Where Have All the Flowers Gone? released 2021 on Moonlanding. Photography by Brandon Bowen. Design by Chase Shewbridge.

Cryogeyser Love is Land released 2020 on Terrible Records. Photography by Marlon Mara-Lenoble. Design by Corona Manzana.

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