Giasco Bertoli’s 2001 piece “I went to see a friend of mine who turned thirty-three years old, in his room I found a pile of 33 lp’s with the word blue on each cover title, I compiled them in alphabetical order” is a C-print photograph mounted on aluminum, and was one of the first artworks installed at Dikeou Collection. The word “blue” and the alphabetization of the albums provide the basis for the composition, but this assemblage of otherwise arbitrary images resonates with one another and builds a story about the owner of these albums and the people who made them.

Sting, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, and Madonna are some of the standout artists in this gathering because of their widespread fame and appeal, but there are some lesser-known names like Terje Rypdal and The Chasers or Claire d’Asta that can leave one wondering how they found their way into this person’s collection in the first place. Despite any of these musicians’ level of fame, though, is the fact that the people who created these album covers rarely get the acknowledgment they deserve for bringing music into the visual realm. Compounding the situation is the proliferation of digital music exchanged over the internet, which has drastically reduced the need for album art in general. The next time you find yourself with a record in your hands, take the time to scan the fine print and find the name of the individual(s) who produced the imagery, as their work is an integral part to the musician’s identity.

The following is a list of the art directors, designers, and photographers who created the album covers in Giasco’s photograph. The artists for albums by Status Quo, Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps, and Elvis Presley are unknown. Like the musicians, the artists vary in their degree of recognition.

Abbey Lincoln, Abbey is Blue - Cover designed and produced by Paul Bacon, Ken Braren, and Harris Lewine. Photography by Lawrence N. Shustak
John Coltrane, Afro Blue Impressions - Cover and layout by Norman Granz and Sheldon Marks
Johnny Cash, All Aboard the Blue Train with Johnny Cash - Cover by Neil Lewis
The Rolling Stones, Black and Blue - Photography by Hiro, layout by Bea Feitler
Double, Blue- Cover design by Hans Inauen. Photography by Barbara Davatz and Marco Schaaf
Joni Mitchell, Blue - Art Direction by Gary Burden, photography by Tim Considine
Terje Rypdal and the Chasers, Blue - Cover design by Dieter Rehm
Status Quo, Blue for You - unknown
Heavy D and The Boyz, Blue Funk - Art Direction & Design by The Drawing Board, photography by Danny Clinch
Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps, Blue Jean Bop! - unknown
Massive Attack, Blue Lines - Art and Design by Michael Nash
Elton John, Blue Moves - Art direction by David Costa
Emmylou Harris, Blue Kentucky Girl - Design and photography by Tom Wilkes
Kiri te Kanawa and Nelson Riddle, Blue Skies - Photo by Zoe Dominic
Cassandra Wilson, Blue Skies - Cover design by Steve Byram
Midnight Oil, Blue Sky Mining - Front cover photography by Gunther Deichmann, back cover photography by North Sullivan
John Coltrane, Blue Train - Photography by Francis Wolff, cover design by Reid Miles
Tom Waits, Blue Valentine - Art Direction and Design by Ron Coro, hand lettering by Bill Franks, photography by Elliot Gilbert
The Escorts, From the Blue Angel - Front cover photo by Dezo Hoffmann, back photo by Campbell McCallum
Herbert von Karajan, Herbert von Karajan does Johann Strauss: Le beau Danube Bleu - Portrait provided by Eisenmenger Ektachrome Archive for Art and History
Eric Serra, Le Grande Bleu Soundtrack - Designed by P.Huart and P. Cholley, illustration by Malinowski
Elvis, Moody Blue - unknown
Frank Sinatra, Ol’ Blue Eyes is Back - Art direction and photography by Ed Thrasher, design by Dave Bhang
Carl Perkins, Ol’ Blue Suede’s Back (Tribute to Rock'n'Roll) - Art Direction by Bill Banks, design by Jeff Lancaster, photography by Gary Young
Wynton Kelly, Kelly Blue - Cover produced and designed by Paul Bacon, Ken Braren, and Harris Lewine
Miles Davis, Kind of Blue - Cover photo by Jay Maisel, other photography by Don Hunstein
Leonard Bernstein, George Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue - Art Direction by Peter Nutter/Thumb Design, photo by Richard Avedon
Foghat, Stony Blue - Art Direction and Design by Peter Corriston, cover concept and photographs by Alen MacWeeney
Lou Reed, Blue Mask - Cover Design by Sylvia Reed
Sting, The Dream of the Blue Turtles - Photography by Max Vadukul, Danny, and a chicken
Madonna, True Blue - Art Direction by Jeffrey Kent Ayeroff with Jeri McManus, design by Jeri McManus, photography by Herb Ritz
Johnny Winter, White Hot & Blue - Photography by Art Kane, design by Paula Scher

Click here to listen to a mix of tracks from these albums curated by John A. Díaz-Cortés 

-Hayley Richardson