Oliver's most recognisable work includes the covers of the Pixies album Doolittle, the Cocteau Twins' Treasure, the Breeders' Last Splash, Modern English's After The Snow and Bush's Razorblade Suitcase. The results, the fruit, is available for all to see. Photo: Luca Giorietto via 4ADĬalling Oliver "a force of nature," Watts-Russell added: "It is rare to think of someone in one's life and know that with absolute certainty that the course of both our lives were irrevocably changed for the better as a result. Vaughan Oliver, whose death was announced on Dec 29, crafted abstract, Dada-esque record covers for dozens of bands including the Pixies, Cocteau Twins, Modern English, the Breeders and His Name is Alive.
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He taught me how to look at the physical world," wrote Ivo Watts-Russell, who founded 4AD in London in 1980, in a statement. "Vaughan Oliver taught me to appreciate quality. The designer's death, at age 62, was confirmed by 4AD, which released a note that read, in part: "Without Vaughan, 4AD would not be 4AD, and it's no understatement to say that his style also helped to shape graphic design in the late 20th century." In the process, his aesthetic became a visual touchstone and helped drive listeners to ponder the ways in which sound could influence image and vice versa. Oliver, whose death was announced on Dec 29, crafted abstract, Dada-esque record covers for dozens of bands including the Pixies, Cocteau Twins, Modern English, the Breeders and His Name is Alive. To those coming of age in the 1980s and 1990s, album cover designer Vaughan Oliver created not only the look of the influential British record label 4AD, but conjured an imaginary realm that would influence generations of artists, graphic designers and pretty much anyone with an eye on image.