In the mid-80s, both R.E.M. and Talking Heads had album covers adorned with the singular work of Georgian folk/outsider artist and Baptist preacher, Howard Finster.
Howard Finster’s (1916 – 2001) unique paintings depicted inspirational images from his own interpretations of the Bible, as well as being influenced by the imagery of postcards, popular magazines, and cultural icons like Elvis Presley. Angels and saints as earthly creatures were often portrayed, and many of his paintings contain witty, printed quotations known as “Finsterisms”.
Some of his creations have joined the contemporary art and music world through his work on the album covers of genre-defining bands, namely R.E.M. and Talking Heads. Through these connections, the artist became responsible for introducing millions of people to the concept of “outsider art”.
On R.E.M.’s Reckoning (1984), the band initially filmed a promotional video, in which Finster briefly appeared, for their debut recording ‘Radio Free Europe’ at his “Paradise Garden” compound in rural Georgia. The following year charismatic singer Michael Stipe collaborated with Finster on the painting for the cover of their second LP, released on independent label I.R.S. Records to both critical and commercial acclaim, reaching No.27 in the USA, and their first charting album in the UK.
“Flashback to 1983
Chronic Town was their first EP Later on came Reckoning Finster’s art, and titles to match.”– Pavement, ‘The Unseen Power of the Picket Fence‘ (1993)
The band inherently invented the jangle-pop sound of the early-80s that would go on to influence some important figures in the American alternative rock scene immeasurably. Reckoning included fine songs like ‘Harborcoat’, ‘Pretty Persuasion’, and ‘(Don’t Go Back To) Rockville’ that would go on to become R.E.M. standards, and with Stipe’s unique singing style and intense stage presence, the album over time, established itself as one of the most influential records of the 1980s.
“As an art student in the Athens, GA area, Michael Stipe had heard of Reverend Finster and his folk art church, and both were featured in the documentary film called Athens, GA: Inside/Out about the mid-1980s music scene in Athens, Georgia. As Finster recalled it, when Michael needed a collaborator for the painting for the cover of R.E.M.’s 2nd record (Reckoning), he came to Finster and started the work by drawing the outline of the snake that is at the centre of the image. Howard then did the rest. I’m not exactly sure where the snake image came from – perhaps it was a sexual reference, or perhaps it was derived from Michael having seen the large ‘Snake Mountain’ that was found in the Paradise Garden, which was a cement sculpture Howard had done. R.E.M. used a similar snake-inspired design in creating a collectible bandana for fans, and also produced a poster for the band that featured Finster’s ‘Snake Mountain’.” – art giant and friend, David Leonardis.
On Talking Heads’ Little Creatures (1985), Finster depicted lead singer David Byrne as the mythological Atlas, holding the world on his shoulders, with Chris, Tina and Jerry alongside mountains, animals, and bell towers. The cover included song lyrics, and various other motifs scattered throughout the scene.
Rolling Stone magazine awarded Little Creatures “Album Cover of the Year” and it was also the band’s commercial breakthrough and biggest seller, released on Sire Records, eventually going Platinum. It featured a more mainstream sound, while retaining the funky art-rock they were known for, and included a series of well-received singles: ‘Road To Nowhere’, ‘The Lady Don’t Mind’, and ‘And She Was’, whose 7″ sleeves were all designed by Finster.
Finster said of the Talking Heads album, “I think there’s twenty-six religious verses on that first cover I did for them. They sold a million records in the first two and a half months after it come out, so that’s twenty-six million verses I got out into the world in two and a half months!” (Finster 1989, p. 197).
“Talking Heads commissioned a Finster painting for Little Creatures in 1985. There was a fine art dealer in Chicago (now in NYC) named Phyllis Kind who was Finster’s principal dealer and was also friends with David Byrne, so she acted as the producer/liaison and lead the project to create the painting. Howard had done a painting that showed himself holding the world on his shoulders, and that served as the basis for this new image. Howard received photographs of the band members and then incorporated their likenesses into the new composition. The final image was so different and appealing that it was later selected as ‘album cover of the year’ by Rolling Stone magazine. – David Leonardis
The ‘Road to Nowhere’ sleeve depicts a Day of Judgment-type situation in which earth loses its gravity, where everything in the painting is floating up to the heavens, and the houses are in motion if you will.
Byrne, an accomplished graphic artist himself and graduate of the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design, owns the original painting and has it on display in his home.
Photo: Ricardo Viera circa early 1990s. Howard Finster contemplates his mortality.
Further Reading and References:
♥ David Leonardis on Howard Finster
♥ Messages in Art: Exhibit Recalls Life of Howard Finster
♥ Shaking Through | R.E.M. in the 80s