Songs For Sorrow Artwork Discussion

I know we have the thread for the EP in general but many of us are interested in the artwork within the book too.

ALL interpretations, opinions and comments about the atrwork are accepted and welcomed so please share yours.

Begin!

I have to say I'm not too fond of the cover art tbh... It just doesn't appeal to me that much, certainly not in comparison with the licm art which I loved.

My favorite illustration in the book is the very last one of toy boy. It looks a lot like the image I had in my head after hearing toy boy for the first time.

That being said, the lady jane graphics by Nilesh Mistry are the prettiest ones imo. They're truly gorgeous and I love the colors.

Nice thread!

I have to form my opinion a bit more, will be back with it soon:mf_rosetinted:

I have to say I'm not too fond of the cover art tbh... It just doesn't appeal to me that much, certainly not in comparison with the licm art which I loved.

 

My favorite illustration in the book is the very last one of toy boy. It looks a lot like the image I had in my head after hearing toy boy for the first time.

That being said, the lady jane graphics by Nilesh Mistry are the prettiest ones imo. They're truly gorgeous and I love the colors.

The cover art is a bit lame in comparison to LICM but I don't think it should have been particularly colourful since the EP is all sorrowful songs. Besides, the cover art isn't Mika's work. I thought it was rather appropriate though, the bones and skulls for sorrow but the flowers covering a bit of it much like Mika's music itself. Horribly depressing songs but covered in a way that makes them pretty.

I absolutely adore the last image for Toy Boy. It seems to fit the song perfectly and the work put into the image itself is a complete masterpiece. Very creative and innovative

Great thread! Thanks!

In one of the TB drawings...how about the bow tie under the bed?

I guess we all know about M's love for bow ties as a kid.

I'll be back!

Great thread! Thanks!

 

 

In one of the TB drawings...how about the bow tie under the bed?

I guess we all know about M's love for bow ties as a kid.

I didn't even think of it that way, I just realized that the toy was missing some clothes and that he was laying in a rumpled bed and with the line underneath.....

But yeah, I like your connection.

Ooh I like this thread . I shall come back later with my opinions.

I want to hear everyone's opinion on the Toy Boy picture with the orange sky and monkeys!

This may turn into a long post so, sorry about the rambling

Toy Boy

My favourite one's would have to be the one by Al Columbia (the monkeys are extremely cute in there) and DaWack (ok, maybe being a little biased there ). Actually I also like the one's by Jim Woodring. The colours and objects in them are great .

I really don't like the one's by David McKee and Peter Blake, I guess they're a bit too simple for my taste, I like things that are more intricate, that have more detail to them. And well... McKee's one just makes me think of a 10 year old's drawing (a very good 10 year old artist that is ).

Lonely Alcoholic

I love Tao Nyeu's drawing, especially the one with the trees that spell out 'Lonely Alcoholic' and the random bears and rabbits everywhere. It's really cute

Blue Eyes

Onto my more fave parts. The first four pages are extremely amazing! Yes the fourth page looks slightly gruesome (well not as much as some of the other drawings) but it looks really good! But it gets the point across of what the artist thought when listening to the song. I really like the tear coming out of the eye from slicing it

Lady Jane

Ok, I absolutely adore Nilesh Mistry's painting. It's just... perfect! The colours are stunning and work really well for the song. I like Lady Jane's lover under the water reaching out and the legs connecting to the fish.. It's slightly weird, I know.. But after all Lady Jane 'is' a fish.. who cut of her legs... Oh and I also like the feet just lying there like a pair of shoes. Ah it's all good I could go on for ages. Oh and also the last page where the colourful fish full of life is drawn with graphite once it's been eaten.

I also like Kerascoet's painting. Also pretty gruesome but it just works so well.

I just think the whole book is cleverly done. And the cover is also good. Like someone else said the skulls (and its colour) representing the sadness (sorrow) of the songs, but the colourful flowers make it look a bit pretty like the way the songs are written/sung.

i love the book, first of all for the creative idea which lays behind.

i love mika the artist, and i hope this is only the beginning of many artworks and creative ideas from him.

if a whole world is going around his music, i like to be aware of it, i was stunned by the amount of drawings and cartooms he displayed in the observer video (in los angeles studio).

going into details, i must say some of the drawings do not appeal to me at all.

i like DaWack Toy Boy over all

and Es Devlin one reminds me of Mika so much!

i prefer David MacKee's lonely alcoholic, cause it's sort of where's wally, and i like to discover part of the song any time i watch it.

i like Kerascoett's blue eyes more than DaWack's, even if it does not fit the song in my opinion.

lady jane? no one matches my eyes and the idea i have of her in my mind.

i like Paul Smith's style a lot and Nilesh Mistry's black and white portrait of Lady Jane.

i may not like the single drawings, but i appreciate the project very much.

i wish mika gives us more in the future

I want to hear everyone's opinion on the Toy Boy picture with the orange sky and monkeys!

It's.... mysterious. I have no idea what it's got to do with Toy Boy at all. And I thought they were weird lambs, which shows how good I am at this sort of thing. Pretty though.

I liked a lot of the stuff in the book, but for me, the outstanding set of pictures is Jim Woodring's for Toy Boy. It actually made me cry (OK, that's not hard, but the song didn't), the doll being so innocent "what's for tea mum" and so abused- dresed up by the "mother" for a voodoo tete a tete meal.

And I love the one where he's lying on the bed with his bow tie rakishly abandoned on the floor. For me, it really hits the spot for its mix of the genuinely innocent with an image that is sexy to an adult- so illustrating the song (IMO). I'm a bit confused by the last Jim Woodring pic though- not sure what he's getting at. Any ideas?

i love the book, first of all for the creative idea which lays behind.

i love mika the artist, and i hope this is only the beginning of many artworks and creative ideas from him.

if a whole world is going around his music, i like to be aware of it, i was stunned by the amount of drawings and cartooms he displayed in the observer video (in los angeles studio).

 

 

i may not like the single drawings, but i appreciate the project very much.

i wish mika gives us more in the future

I agree with this a lot. The artwork (the fact that it's hand drawn) made me appreciate him and the music all the more. I really cannot wait to see what else he and DaWack come out with. And I really, really hope they hold another exhibition with the new album.

I agree with this a lot. The artwork (the fact that it's hand drawn) made me appreciate him and the music all the more. I really cannot wait to see what else he and DaWack come out with. And I really, really hope they hold another exhibition with the new album.

oh yes, i'd love too...but one that can follow him at gigs out of the uk....

oh yes, i'd love too...but one that can follow him at gigs out of the uk....

Yeah, everyone should get the chance to go to one cos the last one was very amazing.

It's.... mysterious. I have no idea what it's got to do with Toy Boy at all. And I thought they were weird lambs, which shows how good I am at this sort of thing. Pretty though.

I focused on the monkeys and the noose. I was thinking of that line "But you left me in Georgia."

I happened to notice that all of the monkeys are white and started thinking that maybe the boy and girl were in Georgia (the surrounding does look like the countryside). Maybe the white monkeys (KKK) wanted the little boy to hang the doll because "It's a serious thing in a grown up world."

Pretty much, I think the monkeys represent the KKK who hung not only African Americans but gays and just about anyone who was not white christian american. The monkeys and the little girl wanted to boy to hang the doll. And look at the way the boy is holding the doll. In between a couple fingers like he doesn't want to touch it and he's dragging it bhind him.

And I do think the monkey in the bottom left corner of the second page is extremely adorable

Cool thread, I'll post something when I have some time (i.e. AFTER my exams ^^).

All I want to say for now it that I was hoping for a Mika painting

I'm in love with Dawack's Toy Boy painting and Es Devlin's

My absolute favorite is Jim Woodring's illustration for Toy Boy. I love it.

I’m fascinated by page 16 when he’s sitting at the table all dressed up, the details, the fishing pole tied to his hand with an engagement ring in the end and the dead flowers in the other hand. And behind him not only a box, but a coffin shaped one, scary! And his poor stomach ripped open!

I'm a bit confused by the last Jim Woodring pic though- not sure what he's getting at. Any ideas?

To me it looks like they are saying their good byes!

I agree with this a lot. The artwork (the fact that it's hand drawn) made me appreciate him and the music all the more. I really cannot wait to see what else he and DaWack come out with. And I really, really hope they hold another exhibition with the new album.

I hope so too, it would be great!

I focused on the monkeys and the noose. I was thinking of that line "But you left me in Georgia."

I happened to notice that all of the monkeys are white and started thinking that maybe the boy and girl were in Georgia (the surrounding does look like the countryside). Maybe the white monkeys (KKK) wanted the little boy to hang the doll because "It's a serious thing in a grown up world."

Pretty much, I think the monkeys represent the KKK who hung not only African Americans but gays and just about anyone who was not white christian american. The monkeys and the little girl wanted to boy to hang the doll. And look at the way the boy is holding the doll. In between a couple fingers like he doesn't want to touch it and he's dragging it bhind him.

And I do think the monkey in the bottom left corner of the second page is extremely adorable

When I look at it I get the impression that the boy and the girl are running away with Toy Boy from a scary place to rescue him!

My absolute favorite is Jim Woodring's illustration for Toy Boy. I love it.

Mine too!

I love the Jim Woodring Toy Boy pics too

I love all the little details- the one with Toy Boy on the bed, looking innocent has such subtle detail - the shadow mum telling off the shadow boy (you can just see the boy's shadow nose on the wall - someone pointed it out, otherwise I would have missed it ), the squiggly screwed up face on the picture at the top of the bed which seems to express what Toy Boy is feeling and the gun-toting bunny lamp base It's all just so Mika

The picture on the previous page, with the boy in the mask, looking like a Toy Boy himself, is a little disturbing - I don't know why

I'll come to you as soon as the object in discussion gets to my eager hands....

The mailman must hate me...

Wonder if it's all about my dogs????

I love the Tao Nyeu hot bears and musical pigs A bit of light relief and they tell a good story

The Kerascoet Blue Eyes Pics are really beatiful and sad and fairy-tale-ish - but I think they need a complete story to go with them

I love the Nilesh Mistry Lady Jane pics - they look so beautiful. The one with Lady Jane as a fish is weird - it looks like a pretty picture of a fish at first glance, but the eyes are so human and sad The water is polluted - a tyre, a drinks can and a traffic cone. There is a bloody axe and two severed feet on the shore, and cranes and a factory belching smoke in the background with a dress and a skull in the trees So much ugliness, so beautifully presented

I focused on the monkeys and the noose. I was thinking of that line "But you left me in Georgia."

I happened to notice that all of the monkeys are white and started thinking that maybe the boy and girl were in Georgia (the surrounding does look like the countryside). Maybe the white monkeys (KKK) wanted the little boy to hang the doll because "It's a serious thing in a grown up world."

Pretty much, I think the monkeys represent the KKK who hung not only African Americans but gays and just about anyone who was not white christian american. The monkeys and the little girl wanted to boy to hang the doll. And look at the way the boy is holding the doll. In between a couple fingers like he doesn't want to touch it and he's dragging it bhind him.

And I do think the monkey in the bottom left corner of the second page is extremely adorable

The first time I read this I thought you were completely nuts, but on reflection, and having had another look at the pic, I think you're absolutely right as to the artist's intention

The cover art is a bit lame in comparison to LICM but I don't think it should have been particularly colourful since the EP is all sorrowful songs.

I think it's the color combination I dislike actually... I'm not too fond of the new website for the same reason

And I really, really hope they hold another exhibition with the new album.

Oh me too! And I love the idea of having a 'travelling' exhibition.

Pretty much, I think the monkeys represent the KKK who hung not only African Americans but gays and just about anyone who was not white christian american. The monkeys and the little girl wanted to boy to hang the doll.

Wow, I would have never come to that conclusion! I'm gonna look at it again now:thumb_yello:

The water is polluted - a tyre, a drinks can and a traffic cone. There is a bloody axe and two severed feet on the shore, and cranes and a factory belching smoke in the background with a dress and a skull in the trees So much ugliness, so beautifully presented

It truly is, it's tragically beautiful.