interviews

Storm Thorgerson

phonecall on the Enigma
by Mark Youles

The Interview

MY = Mark Youles
ST = Storm Thorgerson

MY
In the European tour booklet, you stated that is was important to make the artwork a "real physical event". Why actually photograph the sculptures in the field at all-surely it would have been easier and cheaper to superimpose them onto the background by computer generation?

ST
Yes it would have been easier and cheeper, but enlarging by computer generation looses contrast. It also means that you get haszy outlines. Lighting conditions and shadows are also disrupted...not giving a true picture. Any way, why not waste money when they have got loads to spare.

MY
Why do different versions of TDB artwork? Was it so that people would have to communicate together to see the whole picture, thus ensuring prevention of the theme of the album, which is due to the absence of communication. (Example "CBTL" artwork).

ST
No . It was because we couldn't decide which one we liked better (Dave and me).

MY
Are there more than 2 different versions?

ST
Yes. 6 different ones...2 of each of CD , Tape and Vinyl. For the CD's,

-EMI was what I wanted to produce.
-Columbia was what David wanted to Produce.
as a compromise these were reversed for the vinyl releases.

MY
Where was the small church pictured on the front cover of the tape version of TDB???

ST
Off hand I can't remember...It was a small neighbouring village, about 5 miles west of Ely.

At a later date I telephoned him and re-asked this question, this time I got the answer. The village is called Bluntisham.

MY
What was originally to be shot in Arizona???

ST
The HH video. HH is about Davids youth. I wanted to do a surreal version, by putting Cambridge related 'things' in Arizonia...David didn't like the Idea. Another reason was because it was cold in England During Febuary...I wanted to be in the warm. David didn't care and said that he couldn't feel the cold...no wonder, because he was in a studio.

MY
What is the intended significance of the giant teddy bear during the "HH" video? The only other visual reference to teddy bears that I recall is in the "SOYCD" video-which "Syd" kicks to signify that he is leaving childhood and going onto more adult "Toys".

ST
Childhood things. When you are younger, things seem much larger, hence the giant teddy bear, shoes, bike and men on stilits. The actual significance of the bear itself is due to the connection that children have with their teddy bears. Something very personal and close to them.

The part above as to why Syd kicks his teddy bear, is correct.

MY
You once stated that the shape of steel faces was of paramount importance. In the tour guide, the architect's drawing of the stone faces were very similar to that of Richard Wright's face (having the same facial lines). Are the steel faces supposed to be a representation of the entire band combined into one?

ST
Yes the facial lines are very similar-that was done by accident. The part about the Steel faces is incorrect...the two talking faces are interupted by the presence of the third face. You can not see both at the same time, you either see one or the other...anybody that says they can is lying!!!

The steel heads are also supposed to be a adaption/representation of the Easter Island sculptures.

MY
To me the PULSE Iris is a representation of the eye of Pink Floyd, showing what it has seen through the years. Yet I fail to be able to draw a convincing conclusion as to what the doll is supposed to represent? The only conclusion that I have been able to draw is from "Dolly" meaning a mobile platform for a cine-camera-hence the circular screen. Is this correct?

ST
No. The PULSE Iris is more like the eye of the Pink Floyd punter (you and me) rather than the the actual eye of Pink Floyd. It is the reflection of what we see and represent of the Floyd work. The doll image seen, is actually incomplete, it was the closest thing that I could find to a puppet at the time. (The Wall)-As The Wall images are animated I we couldn't include them as photographs, so I had to use a puppet instead...

MY
I know that you didn't actually do the artwork for The Wall, so I was unsure if you would actually include it.

ST
It is a very important part of the Floyd, you should have guessed that it was in there somewhere...I couldn't just show a picture of a wall-that would have been far to boring and uninteresting.

MY
The TIME video displayed in the concerts, I thought was amazing, It had so much information within it-blink and you missed something important. Although I think I managed to understand most of it, I still have two main question that are unclear to me.

There are constant reference to "C" shaped objects throughout the video. What do these represent? Eclipses? The Sea?
Was there a person named "Max" working on the production of the Video???

ST
Thank you. C shapes! I wasn't aware of that...maybe I'll have to take another look!

There were many people working on it, who knows! I couldn't tell you if one was called Max...

MY
There was Max writen on one of the faces of the clocks...I was woundering if it represented anything.

ST
No not really...I wasn't aware of it. Maybe it is for maximum! There is £200, 000 worth of computer generation there.

MY
What is the intended interpretation of the symbol used in most of the TDB promotional mechandise and on the balloons during the "HH" video? The one with the three parallel lines and the curved line.

ST
It is an adaptation of a Chinese Ideogram. It represents the three band members...The other line was added to join them together, It didn't look right without it.

MY
What about the other symbol that looks like a tree made out of the a P and an F? The one similar to the one used on AMLOR album.

ST
No, it wasn't a rejuvinated version of the AMLOR. It was an initial idea that we had for TDB. To do with boats...It is called "The Boatman".

M. Brickman 12/5/95