Client: John Michaels
Project: Album artwork and website design
Release Year: 2007
The basic idea behind this album was humorous take on megalomania. Mr. Michaels wanted to bring forward a self-deprecating sense of humor as well a dig at the overblown egos of mainstream musicians. Throughout the artwork, all the faces are of the artist. The crowd on the cover, the faces in the art; all of them are of Mr. Michaels taken over a series of photo shoots. The only place on the album where Mr. Michaels appears as 'himself' is the image of him that is under the CD.
The use of a 'rustic' look in the artwork evoked both the folkly feel of the music content but was in its way another dig at the theme. The artist is not wealthy but yet dreams that he is something more. The antiquated images also necessitated an antique theme. The aging of the images and background was accomplished through various color and textured overlays.
The website continues this theme, repeating many of the art elements and introducing some new ones. Both the album and the website intend to evoke the idea that you are peeking at the desk of the artist while he is off on some other plan to devote others to the following of his musical mastery.
