Signature Styles in Art and Album Covers

In this lesson, students consider how the work of visual artists can complement the work of musicians. Students will first consider the role album covers play in giving added meaning to a musical artist’s work. They then investigate the collaboration between music producer Malcolm McLaren and visual artist Keith Haring, as well as the collaboration between visual artist Mickalene Thomas and musical artist Solange on her EP True. In their analysis, they consider the ways Haring’s and Thomas’s work on album covers relate to their other artistic work, as well as how Haring and Thomas’s contributions help supplement the music of Malcolm McLaren and Solange.