The Smashing Pumpkins have enlisted artist Shepard Fairey to create the artwork for their first album in seven years, "Zeitgeist," due July 10 via Martha's Music/Reprise. The red-dominated cover image depicts the Statue of Liberty drowning, while the typeface mirrors that used on the Pumpkins' debut single, 1990's "I Am One" b/w "Tristessa."
"I think global warming is an issue that is currently relevant, time sensitive, and a symptom of the shortsightedness of the U.S.," Fairey says. "As a broader metaphor, the drowning Statue of Liberty, a revered icon of the U.S., symbolizes the eminent demise of many of the ideals upon which the nation was founded. Civil liberties, freedom of speech, privacy, etc. have been decreasing since 9/11. The sun in the image could either be setting or rising and this ambiguity shows that there is still hope to turn things around."
As for Fairey's use of red, he says, "I use red frequently because it is a visually powerful, emotionally potent color. Red gets people's attention. In this case there is the added possibility that the red liquid could be blood, giving it an even more sinister sense of foreboding."
"Tarantula," the first single from "Zeitgeist," hits U.S. radio outlets on May 22. A brief sample of the track can be streamed from AOL Music.
As reported earlier this week, the Pumpkins will stage two residencies this summer in Asheville, N.C., and San Francisco. The Billy Corgan-led group's first reunion show will take place May 22 in Paris.
"I think global warming is an issue that is currently relevant, time sensitive, and a symptom of the shortsightedness of the U.S.," Fairey says. "As a broader metaphor, the drowning Statue of Liberty, a revered icon of the U.S., symbolizes the eminent demise of many of the ideals upon which the nation was founded. Civil liberties, freedom of speech, privacy, etc. have been decreasing since 9/11. The sun in the image could either be setting or rising and this ambiguity shows that there is still hope to turn things around."
As for Fairey's use of red, he says, "I use red frequently because it is a visually powerful, emotionally potent color. Red gets people's attention. In this case there is the added possibility that the red liquid could be blood, giving it an even more sinister sense of foreboding."
"Tarantula," the first single from "Zeitgeist," hits U.S. radio outlets on May 22. A brief sample of the track can be streamed from AOL Music.
As reported earlier this week, the Pumpkins will stage two residencies this summer in Asheville, N.C., and San Francisco. The Billy Corgan-led group's first reunion show will take place May 22 in Paris.
Comments