Masking is the idea that I’ve been acting like everything is ok when in fact it’s not at all.

—Joel St. Julien

PROCESS

Following our collaboration on his album Empathy, Joel approached me to ask if he could use another image from my Gradient Exploration series for his upcoming album, Masking. The album created itself over the course of a year. Joel didn’t necessarily have a concept for the album so he compiled a few compositions he wrote from various dance company commissions. All were ambient pieces but he knew he wanted to have more rhythmic elements. He continued the practice of improvising on his modular synth, recording multiple sessions, playing them back and then sampling the parts he liked the most to compose around. The album concept then became more realized as he reflected on his personal life and developed titles for each song that reflected his experience.

So rather than repurpose existing images from the Gradient Exploration series, I took the opportunity to create something new, channeling Joel's experience creating the album and pulling inspiration from his process of improvisation as well as the connotations evoked by the final album title. The result was a full asset kit for the album release including press photography, two music videos and three album covers.

MUSIC VIDEOS

ALBUM COVERS

PRESS PHOTOGRAPHY + PLACEMENTS