Behind The Work is an in-depth exploration of the thought process and reasoning - good and bad - that goes into some of our favorite projects.
The Creative Direction
In early spring, Sk the Novelist reached out about creating photographic and design materials for his new album, Baggage 2, a follow-up to his 2019 release, Baggage. We have been working together for five years. In that time, not only have we gained creative familiarity and professional respect for one another, but we've fostered a genuine friendship. Because of this, there's relative ease, honesty, and trust in our collaborations that allows us to communicate our visions clearly without causing any friction, and with our latest project, those factors were on full display.
Baggage 2 is a true sequel to the original Baggage, with Sk releasing his personal burdens with candor and his signature wit. With the creative direction for Baggage 2, we wanted to harken back to the original album, our first collaboration, while highlighting the growth that has taken place in Sk's life. We decided to create a clear callback to the original album's cover by using another vintage suitcase for the project. By using a different piece of luggage, we were able to illustrate that Sk is still carrying some form of personal baggage, but it's become different as the years have passed.
Another decision made to indicate Sk's personal growth was to include a golf bag in the photo shoot and album art. Since the release of the first Baggage album, Sk has rediscovered his joy for golf, a sport he played for his high school. This type of recreational baggage is meant to display the therapeutic release of Baggage 2 through the metaphorical gamesmanship of rap, much like golf acting as a solitary, contemplative, and relaxing activity to ease the mind.
The Photography
When discussing the direction for photography, it was crucial to use a setting that not only made sense for including the golf bag but highlighted it within the narrative in a unique way. With this desire, the idea of finding a classic locker room that lacked modernity was born. In my search for such a setting, a frequent collaborator at Explore Asheville told me that Asheville High School might have a locker room that fits the bill. I contacted the Assistant Athletic Director and got permission to use the track locker room for our photo shoot, and it was perfect. Not only did this locker room have the exact aesthetic we wanted, but it also fit the personal nature of Baggage 2, as Sk attended Asheville High School and played on the golf team. In post, I edited these photographs to highlight the warm tones within the scene and added a green tint. This, along with the natural textures in the locker room, enhanced that classic, almost vintage style we wanted.
We also wanted to create photographs in my studio, where we had much more control. The first idea we executed was a set of portraits showing Sk shrouded in hazy blurriness. We did this by placing a piece of frosted plexiglass in front of Sk, with a strong light source above his left shoulder shining down and a softer diffused light source about six feet in front of the plexiglass. These portraits were meant to convey the inner workings of Sk's baggage; the blurring of lines between artist, art, and who Sk is in his everyday life and the protective masking we move through society with. It represents the personal conflict of being honest with your audience but unsure of how much of yourself you truly show them.
The final set of photos we created were portraits of Sk in the middle of 45" vinyl records. In a couple of these portraits, the vinyl is shown floating around Sk to express the ideas that are floating around in Sk's mind. In the other portraits within this set, Sk sits amongst a pile of vinyl records, some broken into pieces. This imparts upon the viewer Sk's baggage in full display, a record of what he's put on record highlighted by the use of records. In these portraits, it was important that Sk looked away from the camera at all times to channel the emotion of his baggage.
The Designs
In creating the design work for Baggage 2, we wanted to encapsulate and distill our ideas in graphic form. We decided to use one of the photos taken from our locker room session for the main cover. I felt that this strongly represented all of the ideas behind the creative direction for Baggage 2. I displayed Sk's name exactly as it was on the first Baggage album, using the same yellow color of the type on the original cover, and that's dominated our subsequent design endeavors. For the back cover, Sk's baggage is in a locker with the number 2 displayed on it. The fact that this locker has a number 2 on it was entirely coincidental and just highlights how perfect this photo shoot was. There is no clear indication if Sk is placing his baggage in the locker or removing it, and it's purposely left ambiguous for the viewer to interpret. One might see this as Sk leaving his baggage behind or continuing to carry those burdens with him.
For the single, Got It Like Me, featuring Asheville legend Spaceman Jones, we decided to use the photo of Sk behind the frosted plexiglass as the base of the design. This was done purely because of the strength of that photograph and because it was one that I could recreate with Spaceman Jones in order to have an image of him that matched Sk's on the single design. A compelling, minimalist type layout was used along with graphic elements that capture the song's feel, such as a temperature bar that goes from red to white hot.
I also created a set of promotional posters using the frosted plexiglass portraits. These posters are meant to be printed and displayed strategically in areas of high traffic that meet Sk's core demographic. By utilizing the mystery created by the portraits, these posters will draw the viewer in, directing them to Sk's music. While these promotional posters have yet to be printed, the brilliant thing about marketing musicians is that there are always new listeners to be gained, and these posters can still serve the purpose of promoting Baggage 2. These posters can also double as a free gift at the door of shows or when someone purchases merch and can be framed and displayed due to their powerful design aesthetic.
Final Thoughts
Being the primary creative director, photographer, and graphic designer for Sk's visual identity throughout the years has meant building a great rapport and trust with him. Artistically, we are in tune with one another at a high level, and I probably know him better than I know any other client. Because of that history, this was the easiest project we've collaborated on to date. There was little disagreement in the choices we each wanted to make, with both of us being able to come to a reasonably quick compromise when there was disagreement. That's a strong indication of mutual respect and belief in one another, which is what every photographer, graphic designer, and creative desires in a client and collaborator.
Overall, I am very happy with how the visuals for this project turned out. I believe this is our strongest collaborative effort yet. We decided upon a classic locker room setting before we secured a location, and it proved a bit daunting to get in touch with anyone at the suggested locations to get permission, but I'm proud that we stuck with our original idea when it would have been easier to pivot to something else. It ultimately proved to be the correct choice.
I hope that you've enjoyed this deep dive into my latest project. You can check out Baggage 2 by Sk the Novelist below and purchase it through his Bandcamp.
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