Gnarles Barkley and the Uncontainable
Since you had to be living under a rock for the past few years to have not heard of the single "Crazy," I had some familiarity with the music, but not the interesting history behind the album itself. Gnarles Barkley is in fact not a person, but a collaboration title which Danger Mouse (Brian Burton, Gorillaz producer) and Cee-Lo Green concocted. The title of the album, St. Elsewhere is a throwback to the 1980s drama show that featured a clinic in one of the worst areas of Boston staffed with physicians who would treat patients rejected by the mainstream health care system. Corruption contained within an immediate environment that is often ignored until it can no longer be repressed seems a common link between title and album cover.
The eruption of these elements in the shape of a nuclear cloud symbolizes the dangers of doing exactly this. Further, the petal imagery signifies the idea that these negative societal impacts did not simply appear out of nowhere, but germinated through the social context which grew them out to be the problems they became. Vivid images display these problems blatantly as the fruits of repressed society. We are presented with negative representations of drugs, sex, war, and violence. There is what appears to be an eagle flying in the "star-spangled" sky amidst combat choppers, signifying a message about the impacts of war and terrorism on freedom.
This use of visual statements on modern society is not without direct implications of context. All issues being addressed on this cover, including the city itself, comes from a single source. This is also consistent with other pieces of Gnarles Barkley promotional works framed around the same ideas:
The cover art for the single, "Crazy" also holds implications of released repression-relief from a rich amount of context that was condensed into a single source. An assortment of views on "beauty" seem addressed here, with the butterfly also having the appearance of a skull mask, and the female form all set above dark layers in the background springing from one man's head.
Having not listened to the album itself, I'm fairly certain these two labels represent music that speaks to the very core of its listeners. Some of it is most likely controversial on topics of sex and politics, and encourages second thought on turning a blind eye to the negative contexts rooted in society.
I agree with your opinion.
Submitted by aalbert on Thu, 02/14/2008 - 22:06.The second picture looks like the stuff just come out of the person body. I think the author is trying to potray how human are just full of those stuff.
I think your second paragraph underneath the first image is simple truth. Your analysis is insightful, but I still wonder why a tigers head is represented, and are those missiles or satellites above it? The implications you pointed out are serious, serious issue(s) that the designer captured fervently. I'm glad you mentioned the petals growth in association within the social context. I'm assuming you're addressing the public in that this is mankind's fault and now their (our) problem. I think the petals is a great use of connecting the cycle of life or cause and effect of what mankind is doing. Our decisions or actions (behaviors) are breeding somewhat of a downward spiral of repression (or even oppression).
Submitted by colgrunt on Thu, 02/14/2008 - 23:02.I agree as well that the St. Elsewhere art has clear representations of war, sexuality, and drugs. I believe the two rockets above the tiger's head are missles, due to the war aspect of the cover. One thing that may have been missed was the don't walk sign, it contributes to the repressed society theme ala govermental control. Personally, I wonder what the robot/(representation of people) is holding. Is it an Ipod, perhaps?
From a design perspective, I like how the nuclear cloud is in black and white, so as not to impede on the central images. The grainy imaging of the cloud also contributes to its background role.
In the second image, I think not only beauty, but life in general is represented, the butterfly could show birth and death, the flowers and female image for everything in between. I wonder, since the title of the single is "Crazy", the bats are added because the person is "batty"?
Submitted by Silento on Fri, 02/15/2008 - 01:25.