Of China, Art, Ethics And Taste

“China’s ever-higher profile as global arbiter of matters artistic–commissioning major work from international architectural stars; giving the nod to a booming market in contemporary Chinese art; and all the while drastically restricting the freedom of artists and writers–leaves us honor bound to explore the tangled old alliances and misalliances between artistic power and political power.”

Alex Steinweiss, 94, The Man Who Invented Album-Cover Art

“The record sleeves and album artwork we know and love, and have come to take for granted, owe their existence to the iconic designer, who in 1940 created the first illustrated 78 rpm album package as a young art director at Columbia Records. The company took a chance on his idea – to replace the standard plain brown wrapper with an eye-catching poster-like illustration – and increased its record sales eightfold in mere months.”