I can't draw a straight line

The radio program "Hickory Sound Excursion" (FM Matsumoto) hosted by Kno, the owner of rovakk musikk
I love this show and have been listening to it often since I was in Yokohama, but the other day, when Tomoyasu Saito of mini kyute, a sub-regular on the show, was featured, I was embarrassed to admit that it was the first time I had heard music from the Tin Pan Alley era (every song was really cool...!).

Among them was a song from Masataka Matsutoya's solo album, the cover of which was apparently drawn by his wife, Yumi Matsutoya.
Later, I became curious and searched for it, and found a beautiful artwork reminiscent of a foreign picture book, of a chic white Western-style house being viewed from the street. However, there are no meaningful depictions of the house's inhabitants, cats or dogs, etc. Perhaps because of this, I feel like I can easily enter the world of the work, woven together by songs and melodies. And the familiar lines somehow overlap with Matsutoya's singing voice.

As I looked at it, I was reminded of an album that featured similar artwork.
It is "OSLO PARK," the first album by Norwegian girl indie rock band veps, released in 2023, their last year as teenagers.
The jacket is a charming drawing of a building with a slightly distorted perspective. I don't know if it's a building that the girls have any special feelings for, but I like the feeling of looking up at this symbolic building.

Buildings generally have solid horizontal and vertical lines, and when they are projected onto a flat surface, a proper perspective should be created, but when something that was originally straight becomes distorted, it creates a ``catch-point'' that cannot be overlooked.
The strange distortions and dynamic lines evoke a mood and energy that tends to overflow, unable to be boxed in even if it wants to. I think it's great that, just because this is the first full album by an all-girl band, it's not a portrait of the girls overflowing with youth, nor an illustration of a girly worldview, but rather a detached image of architecture.

Although I loved drawing and was good at it from elementary school to high school, I was not so good at drawing buildings. I couldn't draw straight lines and they always ended up crooked, which I hated, but if I had made use of that "habit of drawing curves," I might have been able to draw more interesting pictures.

Let's start turning with confidence from now on.

veps - OSLO PARK

Artwork: Alva Jöhnk
Format: LP, dark magenta vinyl
Product No.: KR315LP-C1

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Text and photos by Fumika Arasawa designer Freelance ⇄ Corporate, and sometimes help friends. Moved to Matsumoto in 2024. Instagram: @fumika * Click here to purchase related products at rovakk musikk.

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WALLFLOWER CATALOGUE

Designer Arazawa Fumika will introduce one piece of inspirational artwork each time, designed to bloom on your walls every day.
It will be updated once a month, around the 20th of each month, at the timing of the second solar term.

Bookmarks and archives are available here .