Having been and Alcest fan for awhile, I was excited when their album, Ecailles de Lune, came out earlier this year. This release also introduced to me a great artist. The cover was created by a French artist named Fursy Teyssier, who has since become one of my favorite illustrators. Teynssier’s work includes book illustration, animation and covers for a variety of bands.
In this image, Teyssier's style invokes the felling of a darker Art Nouveau illustration. His attention to detail and his graceful line work can be seen throughout the piece, but especially in the details on the mermaid’s tail. The work also features exquisite and amusing creatures such as the jellyfish, shells, sea stars, coral, and some sort of fish-like dragon creature. I also enjoy the cover’s monochromatic color scheme. It seems appropriate for both the setting (the sea) as well as the mood (somber) of the artwork.
Ecailles de Lune translates as “Scales of the Moon,” the album’s concept being about a man leaving one world for another. As the mermaid calls the water her home, it is then obviously the man who is the one taking the journey. The man is not adapted to life in the sea like is the graceful mermaid, yet she seems to look over him with a sense of protection. It makes me wonder if he can breathe underwater. Maybe he is just sleeping. =]
No comments:
Post a Comment