There Were Bells
Album Cover
Album Cover
The brief was to design an album cover inspired by the workings of the musician and visual artist, Brian Eno, using two colours. As part of the track, ‘There Were Bells’, the musician delivered a stark warning about the persistence of the climate crisis, as he held a live performance at the Acropolis in Greece, with wildfires blazing just outside the city. The temperature at the time was 45C.
Climate change has brought about devastating consequences, including flooding. Showing continental regions submerged on the Mercator projection of the globe brings home the severity of climate change. The shape of Africa on the front cover is instantly recognisable. The usage of the colours green and blue, to represent land and water respectively, is a simple way of engaging others into this conversation.
The typography is also pertinent, as the thin stroke of the phrase ‘There was life.’ signifies a diminishing reality - away from Net Zero. Furthermore, the question on the back cover asks the viewer to question the purpose of our existence, as well as a call-to-action through a hashtag.
With rising sea levels due to the effects of climate change, numerous continents will be affected, not least West Africa, which is also expected to see some of the highest population growth. The best way to iilustrate this change was to show a chunk being taken off of the continent. My reasoning for this is that the distinctive shape of West Africa fitting into South America made it more memorable. Bringing a spotlight to this trend also makes clear that the Global South will be hit hardest, as it has fewer resources to be able to cope, thus fuelling global inequality.
That said, most of my audience are in Western Europe, which is expected to be affected too. The UK, the Netherlands, and Germany are amongst some of the wealthiest nations on the continent yet are expected to see many displaced. The sharp contour where Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg) is on this map creates a visual screeching effect, highlighting the severity of climate change.
