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Thread: What does the cover of "The silent corner and the empty stage" represent?

  1. #1
    Member MarKco's Avatar
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    What does the cover of "The silent corner and the empty stage" represent?

    Hello everybody,
    I recently got in touch with this Peter Hammill's work and I was wondering: what's going on in the cover painting?

    silent2.jpgHammill_Silent.jpg

    I'm pretty sure the inner cover picture is PH's vocal cords and an elaboration around it.

    peter-hammill-the-silent-corner-and-the-empty-stage-inside.jpg

    but the front cover (the one I put at the top of this post) really is a mystery to me. What do you think about it?

    P.S. Please click on the photos to enlarge
    http://www.marcozanetti.it

    Triste è l'uomo
    che ama le cose
    solo quando si allontanano.
    (Baolian, libro dei pensieri Baol, I, vv. 1240-1242)

  2. #2
    I cant find any quote at the moment, but I remember reading somewhere that it is an ovulae inside a uterus or something like that (sorry for being vague but english is my second language and I dont speak womanhood at all )

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    I had correspondence with Bettina Hohls a number of years back concerning the cover. She sent me a link to some info as follows http://peterhammill.com/phx/content/first-contact. She had some issues with PH over copyright of that album cover and that for Chameleon.

  4. #4
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MarKco View Post
    Hello everybody,
    I recently got in touch with this Peter Hammill's work and I was wondering: what's going on in the cover painting?

    silent2.jpgHammill_Silent.jpg

    I'm pretty sure the inner cover picture is PH's vocal cords and an elaboration around it.

    peter-hammill-the-silent-corner-and-the-empty-stage-inside.jpg

    but the front cover (the one I put at the top of this post) really is a mystery to me. What do you think about it?

    P.S. Please click on the photos to enlarge
    It's a good question, because while I'd never looked at this cover closely before, it's definitely one that never resolved into anything identifiable on quick glances. And there are other Hammill/VDGG covers that are the same way. I'm thinking of For He to Him etc whatever it is...

  5. #5
    That's Mr. to you, Sir!! Trane's Avatar
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    It always seemed to me that clearly that the inner gatefold was a representation of a Picasso-esque vagina and the outer gatefold is also inherently sexual, but harder to interpret

    As for Bettina Holhs, I find her answer very evasive (is English her mother tongue?)... Is she doing it purposely to avoid discussing the sexual contents
    my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.

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    The front cover always looked like a butthole to me.

  7. #7
    Jazzbo manqué Mister Triscuits's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by LeFrog View Post
    The front cover always looked like a butthole to me.
    The Silent Cornhole and the Empty Stage.
    Hurtleturtled Out of Heaven - an electronic music composition, on CD and vinyl
    https://michaelpdawson.bandcamp.com
    http://www.waysidemusic.com/Music-Pr...MCD-spc-7.aspx

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    Member moecurlythanu's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mister Triscuits View Post
    The Silent Cornhole and the Empty Stage.
    Well, if that's the case, we can be thankful the stage is empty.

  9. #9
    Recently Resurrected zombywoof's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by flytomars View Post
    I dont speak womanhood at all
    Tell me about it. Story of my life.

    I got into trouble one time for owning this album, cause my girlfriend at the time thought it was pornographic.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by JKL2000 View Post
    And there are other Hammill/VDGG covers that are the same way. I'm thinking of For He to Him etc whatever it is...
    Paul Whitehead himself told me that's a mobile on the front cover of He To Him Who Am The Only One.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by GuitarGeek View Post
    Paul Whitehead himself told me that's a mobile on the front cover of He To Him Who Am The Only One.
    Certainly the inspiration was this illustration from a 19th century astronomical atlas:


  12. #12
    I've no clue about the cover of Silent Corner, but regarding H to He:

    PW: John Anthony said "you should get this guy to do your next album cover." So I got together with Peter (Hammill) and we hit it off, we had the same kind of taste and ideas. (For H to He) I actually had a painting. I'd done that painting earlier for myself. I'm a Libra and that was my interpretation of the birth of Libra, I think it was called 'Birthday'. (The eye beam) goes right down to London. I visualized my birth, that was me being born.

    JC: So what are the two legs hanging down?

    PW: That was me. (both laugh)

    From this interview I did with him years ago: http://www.vandergraafgenerator.co.uk/paulw.htm

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    A dildo in an ass.

    Great album though.

  14. #14
    Member MarKco's Avatar
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    I'm pretty sure the inner cover represents a neck with the vocal cords. I don't see a vagina in it in any way :-/
    About the outer cover, even though the painter seems to refer to it like a womb, it looks much more like the previously cited "silent cornhole and the empty stage". But the water/fire sides are there for sure, in the (silent) corners.
    http://www.marcozanetti.it

    Triste è l'uomo
    che ama le cose
    solo quando si allontanano.
    (Baolian, libro dei pensieri Baol, I, vv. 1240-1242)

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