Final Poster

Its come a long ways but its finally done. Im happy with the way it turned out even after printing it out full scale. I really feel like the poster fits with the way Jeff Mangums music sounds. I really wanted to make this a screen printable poster and that may be my greatest regret but Im happy with the final outcome and learned a lot.

Hidden gem-woman from the cover of Aeroplane over the sea playing guitar like a fiddle in the window

Subject

I cant stop listening to Neutral Milk Hotel and just found out that Jeff Mangum is touring again! Perfect.

Im doing the 4/4/13 show at The Depot in Salt Lake City, UT

Research

I began with just listening to Neutral Milk Hotel and sketching. Then began researching how they represent themselves visually. I found they use collage for their albums and visuals for their website.

Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel) With Tall Firs Gig poster - image 4 - student project

I also read some reviews of the album which helped out a lot. I found one article on Pitchfork that said their album In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is "a record of images, associations, and threads; no single word describes it so well as the beautiful and overused "kaleidoscope." This brought up the first concept of making a kaleidoscope with collage elements.

During my research I found that they would not play for a number of years which helped me arive at my second concept.

Concept #1

Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel) With Tall Firs Gig poster - image 5 - student project

The idea behind this concept is that isolated in the forest Jeff creates these beautiful sounds and words. The circle with triangles in it will be a collage I create and then destroy as if it were viewed through a kaleidoscope.

Also after the discussion I have decided to change the trees into the utah desert landscape

Concept #2

Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel) With Tall Firs Gig poster - image 6 - student project

This second concept I came up with while meditating. I began to walk though my apartment toward a glowing door and thought I would enter my mind to find the key to this poster. But when I entered I found I was in Jeffs mind, a house that seemed to be multiple houses compressed together. I began to feel lost and thought I would not find my way out, then I saw a light and started to follow. It led me upward until I reached a latter. I began to climb and saw a light at its end. I thought I would enter this light and enter heaven but when I reached it I realized it was a sick joke and was reborn.

I felt that this was a perfect metaphor for the return of Jeff Mangum, he was sheltered away until he was reborn and returned to the spotlight.

Reference

I have a lot of books and scap images to go through to start to make the collage for this project but here are a couple of examples, I have a book on miners which I am going to use because "During the American Civil War, a mine of pure rock salt was founded on Avery Island"

Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel) With Tall Firs Gig poster - image 7 - student project

Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel) With Tall Firs Gig poster - image 8 - student project

Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel) With Tall Firs Gig poster - image 9 - student project

Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel) With Tall Firs Gig poster - image 10 - student project

Ok so found some old images I had and thought of this:

Jeff Mangum sometimes uses unconventional instruments so I made this

Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel) With Tall Firs Gig poster - image 11 - student project

I might be thinking about using this in the poster design

Third concept sketch: super underground show.

Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel) With Tall Firs Gig poster - image 12 - student project

Poster inspirations

Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel) With Tall Firs Gig poster - image 13 - student project

Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel) With Tall Firs Gig poster - image 14 - student project

Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel) With Tall Firs Gig poster - image 15 - student project

Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel) With Tall Firs Gig poster - image 16 - student project

Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel) With Tall Firs Gig poster - image 17 - student project

Updated concept/sketches

Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel) With Tall Firs Gig poster - image 18 - student project

Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel) With Tall Firs Gig poster - image 19 - student project

Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel) With Tall Firs Gig poster - image 20 - student project

Type made with scanner

Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel) With Tall Firs Gig poster - image 21 - student project

Close final concept layout, I need some help with the type....

Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel) With Tall Firs Gig poster - image 22 - student project

Updated comp

Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel) With Tall Firs Gig poster - image 23 - student project

Kurt McGhee

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