About the Art
I would like to thank the talented artists mentioned here for helping me with the artwork for my music releases . I am grateful that they were both willing to give of their time and talents to make
the whole project better, and for indulging my wild ideas.
The pictures of me with the 'melting' electronics on the home page background and in other poses was taken by talented photographer Diane Guccione. Diane has a great eye and captures the essence of her subject matter perfectly.
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About Diane:
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The cover art for the original "The Show" was done by Vshane Colclough. He took my cover vision and made it a reality. Jix, the Master of Ceremonies is a character from a science fiction story I wrote as a teenager. He's actually an alien from the planet Sergor, but he likes all Earth music, and being on life's stage. He will show up again.
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John Staple
John Staple is an artist from Taos, New Mexico. He makes beautiful ceramic plates and pottery, as well as photo montages. John created the cover art for CreateBecome. Here is his description of the items in the montage:
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Title: ‘Fate’s Review of Path’s Taken’
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Images:
#1. Feathered cape background, historical (Meso-American) museum, Madrid, Spain, 2021
#2. Hallway, Marrakesh, Morocco, 2021
#3. Boy, Tetuan, Morocco, 2021
#4. Skeins, at a tannery, Fez, Morocco, 2021
#5. Spinning wheel, Fez, Morocco, 2021
#6. Street scene, Chefchouan, Morocco, 2021
#7. Inlaid roof design, Museum of Music, Marrakesh, Morocco, 2021
#8. Pomegranates in water basin, Chefchouan, Morocco, 2021
#9. Winged (female) Greek Sphinx, Madrid, 2021
#10. Steps w/man walking down them, Tikal, Guatemala, 2022
#11. Roses in vase, Riad (hostel) Darna. Tetuan, Morocco, 2021
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From the Artist:
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This is a montage with existential elements embedded into the painting’s core. The boy isn’t just a boy walking down a dark corridor but mankind walking into the light of awareness. The goat skins are allegorical to our dance with death, which we may embrace, yet not ignore. The spinning wheel represents the cycle to a life. The street scene alludes to society’s maze, which we’re all a part of.
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The eight pointed roof mosaic I discovered in the Museum of Music, whilst in Marrakesh, and symbolizes the rhythms’ which surround us as well as the tunes we create. The basin of cooling pomegranates tells of the nurturing balance of nature. The Sphinx, our mytho-poetic, even spiritual, reflective, needs. The steps, taken from a photo I shot in the Mayan temple complex of Tikal, connote our soul’s final (to this life), journey home. The roses sum up the awareness of beauty, fleeting though it may seem.
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Photography, i.e., photo/graphie, means to paint with light, in this case a certain sepia tone of light. For as the overall image came together I found myself choosing photos within a complementary tonal palette: Warm, & inviting, not garish, The way a well lived life might seem.
Click to magnify, then drag to move
Kat Powell is a talented artist who worked with me on The Show EP cover as well as the covers for "Intermezzo Liscio" and "Finale Consumato". She is a very talented Texas-based artist.
The Passion No Distraction (PnD) logo was designed by talented artist Cooky Goldblatt. Cooky's art is amazing and I urge you to check out her Instagram page. Cooky listened to my vision for the PnD logo and brought it to realization.
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The central "star nut" represents my inner essence, or soul. It exists outside of my ego and personality.
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The ring and space around the star nut represents 'inner workings', including ego, thoughts. feelings, memories.
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The 'arms that reach out from the ring represent communication (speech, music), and action pairs reaching out into the world to interact with others and create change.
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“ I think art is not an ornament or refinement at the fringe of human intelligence.
I think it’s at the center. It’s at the core” - Robert Pinsky ( former poet laureate of
the Library of Congress)
"I agree. And as a musician myself, I appreciate Al’s music for its intent, intensity
>and beauty."
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-- Cooky Goldblatt
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