Stanley Donwood
Encyclopedia
Stanley Donwood is the pen name
of English
artist
Dan Rickwood. Donwood is known for his close association with the British
rock group Radiohead
, having created all their album and poster art. He has also collaborated with Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke
and others on the band's website, and appeared in the occasional band webcast and the 2001 Grammy Awards ceremony.
, Donwood worked as a freelance artist in Plymouth, England. Aside from his work for Radiohead, Donwood also maintains his own website, Slowly Downward, where short stories and various other writings are published.
frontman Thom Yorke
met as art students at the University of Exeter
. Donwood was asked by Yorke to produce the cover art for the 1995 album The Bends
, which would begin a collaborative working relationship between the pair for various Radiohead art and promotional material. According to an interview, Donwood jestingly said his first impressions of Yorke were that he was "'Mouthy. Pissed off. Someone I could work with.'" Yorke is credited alongside Donwood under the moniker "The White Chocolate Farm", "Dr. Tchock", "Tchocky" or similar abbreviations.
For Radiohead's 2000 album Kid A
, Donwood produced a series of mountainous landscapes and a series of images centered around a minotaur
. Donwood cites Caspar David Friedrich
and Hieronymus Bosch, as well as time spent in war museums and mountain landscapes as influences in its bleak, post-apocalyptic style.
In 2002, Donwood and Yorke won a Grammy Award
for Best Recording Package
for the Special Edition for the album Amnesiac
. Donwood's writings have also been used in his Radiohead album artwork, and frequently on Radiohead's official website.
Nine acrylic on canvas paintings, inspired by Paula Scher
's map paintings, provided the basis for 2003's Hail to the Thief
s look, creating maps of war torn cities like Kabul
and Grozny
out of brightly colored blocks with politically charged words or phrases.
In 2006, Donwood began creating and selling large screenprints. In an interview with antiMusic.com, he explained it as an effort to reconnect with the process of print making and as a means to share his art in a larger format than the small, low quality prints in album cover and insert art, "It's a way of getting pictures out in the way they should be seen; not as 4-colour litho on cheap paper, but as real pieces of artwork that have a much greater visual impact."
In 2006, Donwood's exhibition, "London Views", consisted of a series of fourteen lino prints of various London landmarks being destroyed by fire and flood. The prints are being exhibited in Lazarides Gallery, in Soho, London
. The prints are also used as the cover and insert art for Thom Yorke's solo album, The Eraser
.
In November 2006, Donwood exhibited the original paintings and other artwork done by him and Yorke for Radiohead albums, at Iguapop Gallery in Barcelona
. The exhibit focused on Kid A, Amnesiac and Hail to the Thief as well as a companion art book called Dead Children Playing
which was produced, credited to Donwood and Tchock.
Only three albums were released on the record label, each with three hundred and thirty three copies of each release. The CDs were packaged by hand into sleeves that were six inches square. All mechanised operations - printing, cutting and scoring were carried out using a 1965 Heidelberg platen press.
On 18 February 2009, Donwood announced on the Six Inch Record blog that the online shop was to be closed, as there were no more records to sell. Donwood stated on the matter: "Six Inch Records is no longer a going concern, and there will be no more musicians signed, records made, events held."
EPs
Singles
DVDs
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
of English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
Dan Rickwood. Donwood is known for his close association with the British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
rock group Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
, having created all their album and poster art. He has also collaborated with Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke
Thom Yorke
Thomas "Thom" Edward Yorke is an English musician who is the lead vocalist and principal songwriter for Radiohead. He mainly plays guitar and piano, but he has also played drums and bass guitar...
and others on the band's website, and appeared in the occasional band webcast and the 2001 Grammy Awards ceremony.
Career
After graduating from the University of ExeterUniversity of Exeter
The University of Exeter is a public university in South West England. It belongs to the 1994 Group, an association of 19 of the United Kingdom's smaller research-intensive universities....
, Donwood worked as a freelance artist in Plymouth, England. Aside from his work for Radiohead, Donwood also maintains his own website, Slowly Downward, where short stories and various other writings are published.
Radiohead
Stanley Donwood and RadioheadRadiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
frontman Thom Yorke
Thom Yorke
Thomas "Thom" Edward Yorke is an English musician who is the lead vocalist and principal songwriter for Radiohead. He mainly plays guitar and piano, but he has also played drums and bass guitar...
met as art students at the University of Exeter
University of Exeter
The University of Exeter is a public university in South West England. It belongs to the 1994 Group, an association of 19 of the United Kingdom's smaller research-intensive universities....
. Donwood was asked by Yorke to produce the cover art for the 1995 album The Bends
The Bends
The Bends is the second studio album by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, released on 13 March 1995 by Parlophone. The Bends was produced by John Leckie at EMI's studios in London, and engineered by Nigel Godrich, who would go on to produce all future albums by the band...
, which would begin a collaborative working relationship between the pair for various Radiohead art and promotional material. According to an interview, Donwood jestingly said his first impressions of Yorke were that he was "'Mouthy. Pissed off. Someone I could work with.'" Yorke is credited alongside Donwood under the moniker "The White Chocolate Farm", "Dr. Tchock", "Tchocky" or similar abbreviations.
For Radiohead's 2000 album Kid A
Kid A
Kid A is the fourth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released in October 2000 by the Parlophone label. A commercial success worldwide, Kid A went platinum in its first week of release in the United Kingdom. Despite the lack of an official single or music video as publicity, Kid A...
, Donwood produced a series of mountainous landscapes and a series of images centered around a minotaur
Minotaur
In Greek mythology, the Minotaur , as the Greeks imagined him, was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, "part man and part bull"...
. Donwood cites Caspar David Friedrich
Caspar David Friedrich
Caspar David Friedrich was a 19th-century German Romantic landscape painter, generally considered the most important German artist of his generation. He is best known for his mid-period allegorical landscapes which typically feature contemplative figures silhouetted against night skies, morning...
and Hieronymus Bosch, as well as time spent in war museums and mountain landscapes as influences in its bleak, post-apocalyptic style.
In 2002, Donwood and Yorke won a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Recording Package
Grammy Award for Best Recording Package
The Grammy Award for Best Recording Package is one of a series of Grammy Awards presented for the visual look of an album. It is presented to the art director of the winning album, not to the performer, except if the performer is also the art director....
for the Special Edition for the album Amnesiac
Amnesiac
Amnesiac was generally well-received by critics. It was also ranked as one of the best albums of the year by several publications. The Village Voice Pazz and Jop poll ranked it number 6 on their top 10 albums of the year. Alternative Press declared it the #1 album of the year...
. Donwood's writings have also been used in his Radiohead album artwork, and frequently on Radiohead's official website.
Nine acrylic on canvas paintings, inspired by Paula Scher
Paula Scher
Paula Scher, born October 6, 1948, in Washington, DC., is an American graphic designer, illustrator, painter and art educator in design, and the first female principal at Pentagram, which she joined in 1991...
's map paintings, provided the basis for 2003's Hail to the Thief
Hail to the Thief
Hail to the Thief is the sixth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released in June 2003 through Parlophone Records. After two Radiohead albums that featured heavily processed vocals, less guitar, and strong influence from experimental electronica and jazz, Hail to the Thief was seen...
s look, creating maps of war torn cities like Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
and Grozny
Grozny
Grozny is the capital city of the Chechen Republic, Russia. The city lies on the Sunzha River. According to the preliminary results of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 271,596; up from 210,720 recorded in the 2002 Census. but still only about two-thirds of 399,688 recorded in the 1989...
out of brightly colored blocks with politically charged words or phrases.
In 2006, Donwood began creating and selling large screenprints. In an interview with antiMusic.com, he explained it as an effort to reconnect with the process of print making and as a means to share his art in a larger format than the small, low quality prints in album cover and insert art, "It's a way of getting pictures out in the way they should be seen; not as 4-colour litho on cheap paper, but as real pieces of artwork that have a much greater visual impact."
In 2006, Donwood's exhibition, "London Views", consisted of a series of fourteen lino prints of various London landmarks being destroyed by fire and flood. The prints are being exhibited in Lazarides Gallery, in Soho, London
Soho
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has undergone considerable...
. The prints are also used as the cover and insert art for Thom Yorke's solo album, The Eraser
The Eraser
The Eraser is the debut solo album by Radiohead lead singer Thom Yorke, released on 10 July 2006. The album debuted at #3 on the UK Albums Chart and at #2 on the Billboard 200 in the United States, selling over 90,000 copies in its first week. Critical reception to the album was generally positive...
.
In November 2006, Donwood exhibited the original paintings and other artwork done by him and Yorke for Radiohead albums, at Iguapop Gallery in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
. The exhibit focused on Kid A, Amnesiac and Hail to the Thief as well as a companion art book called Dead Children Playing
Dead Children Playing
Dead Children Playing is a picture book by Stanley Donwood and Thom Yorke featuring artwork that has been used on English alternative rock band Radiohead's albums between 1996 and 2003, and on Thom Yorke's album The Eraser...
which was produced, credited to Donwood and Tchock.
Six Inch Records
In late 2006, Stanley Donwood, along with Richard Lawrence launched an independent record company, named Six Inch Records.Only three albums were released on the record label, each with three hundred and thirty three copies of each release. The CDs were packaged by hand into sleeves that were six inches square. All mechanised operations - printing, cutting and scoring were carried out using a 1965 Heidelberg platen press.
On 18 February 2009, Donwood announced on the Six Inch Record blog that the online shop was to be closed, as there were no more records to sell. Donwood stated on the matter: "Six Inch Records is no longer a going concern, and there will be no more musicians signed, records made, events held."
Cover art
Albums- (1995) The BendsThe BendsThe Bends is the second studio album by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, released on 13 March 1995 by Parlophone. The Bends was produced by John Leckie at EMI's studios in London, and engineered by Nigel Godrich, who would go on to produce all future albums by the band...
- (1997) OK ComputerOK ComputerOK Computer is the third studio album by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, released on 16 June 1997 on Parlophone in the UK and 1 July 1997 by Capitol Records in the US. It marks a deliberate attempt by the band to move away from the introspective guitar-oriented sound of their previous...
- (2000) Kid AKid AKid A is the fourth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released in October 2000 by the Parlophone label. A commercial success worldwide, Kid A went platinum in its first week of release in the United Kingdom. Despite the lack of an official single or music video as publicity, Kid A...
- (2001) AmnesiacAmnesiacAmnesiac was generally well-received by critics. It was also ranked as one of the best albums of the year by several publications. The Village Voice Pazz and Jop poll ranked it number 6 on their top 10 albums of the year. Alternative Press declared it the #1 album of the year...
- (2001) Smalltown, Shining
- (2001) I Might Be WrongI Might Be WrongI Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings is a 2001 live album by English rock band Radiohead, consisting of live performances of eight songs recorded on a tour of Europe and North America, including seven songs from their albums Kid A and Amnesiac, and one never released on a studio album, "True Love...
- (2003) You are here. (Accidental records compilation, reference AC07CD)
- (2003) BodysongBodysongBodysong is a 2003 documentary about human life and the human condition directed by Simon Pummell.The entire film has no dialogue, and is set to a score composed by Jonny Greenwood . The Bodysong soundtrack album was Greenwood's first solo release.- Plot :The film opens with scenes of birth...
- (2003) Hail to the ThiefHail to the ThiefHail to the Thief is the sixth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released in June 2003 through Parlophone Records. After two Radiohead albums that featured heavily processed vocals, less guitar, and strong influence from experimental electronica and jazz, Hail to the Thief was seen...
- (2005) Plat du Jour
- (2006) The EraserThe EraserThe Eraser is the debut solo album by Radiohead lead singer Thom Yorke, released on 10 July 2006. The album debuted at #3 on the UK Albums Chart and at #2 on the Billboard 200 in the United States, selling over 90,000 copies in its first week. Critical reception to the album was generally positive...
- (2007) Jonny Greenwood Is the ControllerJonny Greenwood Is the ControllerJonny Greenwood Is the Controller is a compilation album created by Jonny Greenwood, lead guitarist of Radiohead. The album culls Greenwood's favorite reggae and dub songs from the vaults of famed record label Trojan Records, in honor of the label's 40th anniversary...
- (2007) In RainbowsIn RainbowsIn Rainbows is the seventh studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was first released on 10 October 2007 as a digital download self-released, that customers could order for whatever price they saw fit, followed by a standard CD release in most countries during the last week of 2007. The...
- (2011) The King of LimbsThe King of LimbsThe King of Limbs is the eighth studio album by English rock band Radiohead, produced by Nigel Godrich. It was self-released on 18 February 2011 as a download in MP3 and WAV formats, followed by physical CD and 12" vinyl releases on 28 March, a wider digital release via AWAL, and a special...
EPs
- (1995) Live Au Forum
- (1995) Live à l'Astoria
- (1995) Just for College EP
- (1996) The Bends Pinkpop
- (1997) No Surprises/Running from DemonsNo Surprises/Running from DemonsNo Surprises/Running from Demons is the fourth extended play by English rock group Radiohead, released in December 1997. The EP was aimed at the Japanese market in order to promote the band's Japan tour of January 1998.-Track listing:...
- (1998) Airbag/How Am I Driving?Airbag/How Am I Driving?Airbag / How Am I Driving? is the fifth extended play by English rock group Radiohead, released in April 1998 specifically to the North American market...
- (2001) Amnesiac College EP
- (2004) COM LAG (2plus2isfive)COM LAG (2plus2isfive)Omitted is the seven-minute demo version of "There There", which appears on the first "2+2=5" single.- "I Will" :"I Will " is an alternative version of the album track "I Will" and was released on the second "2+2=5" CD single...
- (2006) Spitting FeathersSpitting FeathersSpitting Feathers is a B-sides EP by Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke, released in Japan on November 22, 2006 by XL Recordings. The tracks were originally released on the CD and vinyl UK singles of "Harrowdown Hill" and "Analyse", tracks from Yorke's 2006 solo album The Eraser.-Track listing:# "The...
Singles
- (1994) My Iron Lung
- (1995) High and Dry / Planet TelexHigh and Dry"High and Dry" is a song by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, and was the first single released from their second album, The Bends . It was as a double A-side with album opener "Planet Telex"...
- (1995) Fake Plastic TreesFake Plastic Trees"Fake Plastic Trees" is a song by the British alternative rock band Radiohead, from their second album The Bends . It was the third single to be released from that album in the UK, but in the US, it was released as the band's first single from the album...
- (1995) JustJust (song)"Just" is a single by English alternative rock band Radiohead, released in 1995. It is the seventh track on their 1995 album The Bends. Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke wrote the song about a narcissistic friend of his, which on closer inspection is showcased by the imagery in the lyrics - a parallel...
- (1996) Street Spirit (Fade Out)Street Spirit (Fade Out)"Street Spirit " is a song by English alternative rock band Radiohead, featured on their second studio album The Bends, which was released in 1995...
- (1997) Paranoid AndroidParanoid Android"Paranoid Android" is a song by English alternative rock band Radiohead, featured on their 1997 third studio album OK Computer. The lyrics of the darkly humorous song were written primarily by singer Thom Yorke, following an unpleasant experience in a Los Angeles bar...
- (1997) Karma PoliceKarma Police"Karma Police" is a song by English alternative rock band Radiohead from their 1997 third studio album OK Computer. The song's title and lyrics derive from an in-joke among the band, referring to the Hindu theory of retributive enforcement, known as karma....
- (1998) No SurprisesNo Surprises"No Surprises" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead. It was released as the third and final single from the group's 1997 album OK Computer. It was accompanied by a music video that featured a single shot of singer Thom Yorke's head in a plastic bubble filling with water. The single peaked...
- (2001) Pyramid SongPyramid Song"Pyramid Song" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead. It was the first single from their 2001 album Amnesiac and the first Radiohead single released in over three years, after none were taken from their previous album Kid A....
- (2001) Knives OutKnives Out"Knives Out" is a song by English rock band Radiohead. The composition features electric and acoustic guitars, complemented by singer Thom Yorke's vocals. It appears on Radiohead's 2001 album Amnesiac, recorded during the same sessions as the previous album Kid A...
- (2003) There ThereThere there"There there." is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, featured on their album Hail to the Thief and released prior to the album as its first single. "There There" reached number four in the UK Singles Chart and number one in Canada...
- (2003) Go to SleepGo to Sleep"Go to Sleep" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released as the second single from their sixth album Hail to the Thief in 2003. The song has an initial time signature of 4/4, which alternates with 6/8 time throughout the duration of the song. The alternate title for the song as listed...
- (2003) 2 + 2 = 52 + 2 = 5 (song)"2 + 2 = 5" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released as the third and final single from their sixth album Hail to the Thief in 2003. The song reached number 15 on the United Kingdom singles chart.-Lyrics and background:...
- (2008) Jigsaw Falling into PlaceJigsaw Falling into Place"Jigsaw Falling into Place" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead and is the penultimate track on their 2007 album In Rainbows. The song was released as the first single from In Rainbows on 14 January 2008, following the album's "standard" physical release on December 31, 2007.-Overview:The...
- (2008) NudeNude (song)"Nude" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, appearing as the third track on their 2007 album In Rainbows. The song was released as the second single from In Rainbows on 31 March 2008. "Nude" was written in 1997, and the band began to perform it live soon after. However, a recording was not...
- (2008) ReckonerReckoner"Reckoner" is a song by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, and is the seventh track on their 2007 album In Rainbows. The song was released as the third and final single from In Rainbows on 23 September 2008. It was released through the Radiohead Remix website in the form of "stems",...
DVDs
- (1995) Live at the AstoriaLive at the AstoriaLive at the Astoria is a live concert video from English alternative rock group Radiohead's concert at the London Astoria venue on 27 May 1994, released on 13 March 1995 to VHS, and later to DVD in 2005....
- DVD cover design - (1998) 7 Television Commercials7 Television Commercials7 Television Commercials is a collection of music videos from English alternative rock band Radiohead, covering the period from their The Bends and OK Computer .-Release:...
- DVD box design - (1998) Meeting People Is EasyMeeting People Is EasyMeeting People Is Easy, first released on 30 November 1998, is a rockumentary by Grant Gee following British alternative rock band Radiohead on their exhaustive world tour following the success of their 1997 album OK Computer...
- DVD cover design - (2004) The Most Gigantic Lying Mouth of All TimeThe Most Gigantic Lying Mouth of All TimeThe Most Gigantic Lying Mouth of All Time is a collection of twenty-four short films from English alternative rock band Radiohead, directed and edited by Chris Bran, one half of the Vapour Brothers....
- DVD cover design
Other
- London Views jigsaw box
- London Views concertina viewbook
- Free posters of art work form the RadioheadRadioheadRadiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
albums Hail to the ThiefHail to the ThiefHail to the Thief is the sixth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released in June 2003 through Parlophone Records. After two Radiohead albums that featured heavily processed vocals, less guitar, and strong influence from experimental electronica and jazz, Hail to the Thief was seen...
, OK ComputerOK ComputerOK Computer is the third studio album by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, released on 16 June 1997 on Parlophone in the UK and 1 July 1997 by Capitol Records in the US. It marks a deliberate attempt by the band to move away from the introspective guitar-oriented sound of their previous...
and AmnesiacAmnesiacAmnesiac was generally well-received by critics. It was also ranked as one of the best albums of the year by several publications. The Village Voice Pazz and Jop poll ranked it number 6 on their top 10 albums of the year. Alternative Press declared it the #1 album of the year...
that came with NMENMEThe New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
Magazine - Artist Series Oakley Jupiter sunglasses
Screenprint
- My Everyday Life
- Alarm
- Escape
- Pacific Coast
- Happy Family
- Such A Pretty House
- Operation Phantom Fury
- Grozny
- Kabul
- Cnut
- Dome
Linoprint
Promotions
- The Most Gigantic Lying Mouth of All TimeThe Most Gigantic Lying Mouth of All TimeThe Most Gigantic Lying Mouth of All Time is a collection of twenty-four short films from English alternative rock band Radiohead, directed and edited by Chris Bran, one half of the Vapour Brothers....
- Radiohead.com
- Trade Justice MovementTrade Justice MovementThe Trade Justice Movement is a British coalition, founded in 2000, of more than 80 organizations campaigning for trade justice.The coalition has a particular focus on UK and EU trade policies...
graphic
