The allure of the Art Deco idyll

My earliest encounter with Art Deco was a magazine advertisement, somewhere during the ’80s. I don’t remember what was being advertised (it may have been chocolates), but the illustration struck a chord within me. I couldn’t get enough of the alternate world created on the page, an idyllic cityscape made of sleek lines and carefully choreographed colours. I recall elongated 1930s automobiles, towering palm trees and elegant people with borzoi dogs on leashes parading the street. It was all very impressive to my young mind. I stared at the advertisement for ages—in fact, I copied it, multiple times.

The inevitable album artwork application

To this day, Art Deco graphics have a special place in my heart. So much so, that I am leaning very strongly towards an abstract Art Deco feel for the Airship album artwork. I think it best illustrates the figurative nature of the music—and besides, airships were all the rage in the Art Deco era! For the next few days, I am stepping away from mixing the album, so I can return to it with “fresh” ears, next week. In the meantime, I’ve been gathering inspiration for the album artwork. I’ve already gone through a number of design iterations, which I will share, come crunch time, but I think Art Deco is the answer. Exciting times!