Customer Reviews

The Mischievous Art of Jim Flora

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Full Disclosure: I am Art Director for the publisher, although this book was completed before I arrived. That said, this is an incredible and much-needed look into the work of one of the artists that defined the concept of record cover art. A darkly fanciful artist with explosive vision, Flora worked alongside Alex Steinweiss to conceive of what album art should be. There is no way to overstate how important his work is (then and now) and what a shame it is that it took so long to give him his due. Less restrained-in fact, more exuberant-than the revered Blue Note covers, Flora's art put a different face on jazz and classical. One just as accurate but with uninhibited joy in a shadowy world. If you enjoy the likes of the modern low-brow masters (most notably Tim Biskup) you must own this. If you want history on record cover art (which is painfully lacking on the bookshelves), you want an inspiring coffeetable read, or just want to look all hipper-than-thou, then buy it. Fantagraphics has made a beautiful collection in this book.

This book is a terrific introduction and overview of the beautiful, grotesque, familiar and yet shockingly fresh work of Jim Flora. It's pure eye candy, Flora's limited color palette illustrations are brilliantly reproduced in large scale. Essays by Irwin Chusid and others are both witty and informative. You'll come away from this book inspired and giddy.

Click on the "look inside this book" and the images speak for themselves -- jubilant, creepy, manic, economical. This is illustration of the first order: it captures a specific time and place and yet is so idiosyncratic and sure of itself that it transcends commercial illustration and enters the realm of high art.

This, the first book on Flora, is probably the most essential, containing the Columbia and RCA album covers as well as Flora's work for the Little Man Press.

The text is intelligent featuring assessment of the work, reminiscences, and stories from Flora (who died in the late 1990's.)

With an Album Cover Discography, Bibliography and Illustration Vita, and Vintage Album Cover Bibliography.

The artwork is original and inspiring. I love the Columbia Record covers from the olden days.