Five Best Covers by John Warwicker

Picking favourites from a career this varied is hard, so this is a personal shortlist.

1. The Glove, Blue Sunshine (1983)

A blue spiral pulls you into a collage of faces and figures, with a pointing hand at the top. Warwicker named the work for The Glove among his favourites from the Da Gama years. It's was a team effort that feels dreamy, trippy and unmistakably of its time.

 

2. The Rolling Stones, Steel Wheels (1989)

Interlocking record-and-wheel shapes repeat across the sleeve in black, white and halftone grey, with the band's name in a bold strip at the top. Warwicker has singled it out as the highlight of his time at Vivid ID. It's graphic, rhythmic and instantly recognisable.

 

3. Landscape, debut album

This is where it began. A poster for a gig led to the band's first sleeve, a hand-drawn, collage-rich circular scene beneath bold lettering. It's a snapshot of a world before desktop design, built from board, transfer lettering and patience.

 

4. Iggy Pop, Real Wild Child (Wild One) (1987)

Huge blue lettering fills the sleeve while Iggy strikes a defiant pose in the foreground. The single reached No. 10 in January 1987. Warwicker has said that Iggy was the most professional artist he's worked with, and the cover has the same energy and confidence.

 

5. Duran Duran, Astronaut (2004)

The band appear in sharp black against white, with slashes of red and graphic texture around them. Warwicker art directed the shoot with photographer Kristian Schuller, then combined the photographs with graphics and typography. It's a very different look from the 80s work and shows how far his style travelled.

Explore more of John's work at johnwarwicker.com.