Discouraged Ones

            Discouraged Ones by Katatonia features a dismal album cover, seemingly indicative of the album overall; the artwork transcends sadness and conveys something deeper. It has an eloquent beauty, transgressing the description of “dismal.” A swirl of black and varying shades of orange dominate the cover, creating an ethereal look reminiscent of disintegration; the use of black reminds me of the style used on the front of Nine Inch Nail’s The Downward Spiral. The change in shades and colors is a strong force behind the cover’s beauty. Only the upper right, high above the figure, has a bright aesthetic, while everything else has a darker color; juxtaposition of colors helps make the artwork interesting. Throughout the cover is a sense of variation especially in color, creating something ultimately memorable. (The subtle changes make the cover easier to remember and digest.) A faintly blurred look gives a sense of the abstract, even though the main figure is clearly defined. His placement in the bottom emphasizes him yet making him look small. Ultimately the cover uses orange and black to convey a lachrymose wintry look reminiscent of physical disintegration.

            Together these elements create a dream-ish reality inspired by fantasy but immune to skepticism. Only the object in focus has a shape but everything else lacks a true shape, allowing the focus to be created. Colors hang in the picture, creating a surreal backdrop to the figure. At the same time something beyond just the collusion of colors and various art principles operates. Archetypal references and other connections meet the art itself and add another layer of meaning that surpasses a sum of the parts.

            Black has a connotation of being standard, elegant in a simple manner, or simply dark. The third option has the most application, since clearly this cover subverts a “standard” look of any sort; the second option is possible, though too. Black dominates the cover, defining the figure and contrasting the orange; the result is beyond a merely destructive picture. Orange as a color is commonly associated with the sun and/or flames (at least to me), creating a warmth that meshes with the darkness. This visual image can be likened to a stereotypical desert at sunset: the air is warm but not oppressive. Ultimately the contrast is soothing and not leaning particularly in either direction. Analysis of the archetypes present reaffirms my initial thoughts, at least on the surface.

            I have, however, neglected the figure himself. He is humanoid yet angelic, as shown by the wings protruding from him; these wings are pointed outwards, indicating that they are not yet closed. This figure is in descent, away from what appears to be an artistic representation of the sun (the brightest patch of orange). Resultantly the person appears quite downtrodden. Ultimately I am reminded of the story of Persephone, where Persephone descends into hell and brings winter into existence. The angelic aesthetic is perfectly complemented and juxtaposed against this story in my view. Elysian imagery (the bright orange) works with the black to create a beautiful image. Though the picture is downtrodden it displays beauty in that moroseness; it is well-portrayed and quite creative.