The Rise, Fall and Rise of Vinyl Records

On the occasion of the ICA Reading Room exhibition Dennis Morris: PiL – First Issue to Metal Box we are pleased to present a panel discussion chaired by Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy (Classic Album Sundays) that explores the visual history of vinyl album cover design and its influence on popular culture.

With an esteemed panel of speakers including Sean Bidder (Vinyl Factory), Peter Saville and Adrian Shaughnessy, the talk discusses the impact of album cover art, what differentiates vinyl from alternative analogue and digital formats, including the cassette tape, compact disc, MP3, and why there is a resurgence among the download generation today.

Colleen Murphy, alias Cosmo, is an American radio broadcaster, club DJ, music producer, remixer, record label owner and founder of Classic Album Sundays. Originally from Massachusetts, she attended New York University where she was Program Director and a DJ at the university radio station WNYU. She cites her introduction to and friendship with David Mancuso as a major influence. Together they produced the compilations David Mancuso presents The Loft. She is co-founded of the record label Bitches Brew.

Sean Bidder is the Creative Director of the Vinyl Factory, collaborating with musicians and artists on creative projects, leading the group's record label, publishing and curatorial divisions. Recent creative projects have included Christian Marclay, Jeremy Deller, Dinos Chapman, Kraftwerk, Grace Jones, Massive Attacke, Burial and many others. He is also the co-founder of Fact Magazine and has regularly contributed to The Guardian, The Independent and Dazed & Confused.

Peter Saville is an artist and designer whose contribution to culture has been unique. As a founder and art director of the legendary independent UK label Factory Records he accessed a mass audience through pop music, best exemplified in the series of record sleeves he created for Joy Division and New Order between 1979 and 1993. His radical designs seemed to break all the rules, omitting information about artists or titles, fundamentally questioning modes of consumption and communication. His recent work encompasses design, art and culture. He is consultant creative director to the City of Manchester.

Adrian Shaughnessy is a graphic designer and writer based in London. In 1988 he co-founded the design company Intro. The company won numerous awards for its groundbreaking music packaging. He is a founding partner in Unit Editions, a publishing company producing books on design and visual culture. He writes for Eye, Creative Review and Design Observer, and is a contributor to avant-garde music magazine The Wire. He is a senior tutor (graphic design) at the Royal College of Art, London. He hosts a radio show called Graphic Design on the Radio on Resonance FM.

Competition

What's your favourite vinyl cover artwork? Share a picture and tell us why it's important to you on Twitter or Instagram by midnight Monday 2 May, tagging us in @ICALondon and including the hashtag #VinylUncovered to win 2 tickets to this event!