Art director and graphic designer Peter Saville has re-imagined his cover art for Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures as a mural that puts a spotlight on climate change. The mural is located in Withington, a suburb of Manchester.
Peter Saville’s legendary 1979 cover has been reinterpreted by Music Declares Emergencyhttps://t.co/4royEUrfry
— Rolling Stone UK (@rollingstoneuk) October 15, 2021
Saville originally based the original design of the famous piece of the album artwork on a stacked plot of radio emissions given out by a pulsar, however, in the new design, the emissions have been altered to look flatter, and are accompanied by a poignant, chilling message; “No Music on a Dead Planet”. The mural was created specifically for the campaign group Music Declares Emergency, who, according to the BBC, said that it symbolises; “the eternal silence of a dead planet.”
As previously alluded to, Peter Saville is the original designer of the Unknown Pleasures album artwork and has been involved in the music scene as an artist since 1979. Saville founded Factory Records alongside journalist and radio broadcaster Tony Wilson, actor Alan Erasmus, producer Martin Hannett, and Rob Gretton, the manager of Joy Division and New Order. Saville’s other artistic credits include Joy Division’s second and final album Closer, New Order’s Power, Corruption and Lies, Roxy Music’s Flesh and Blood and My Life In The Bush of Ghosts, a collaborative album between Brian Eno of Roxy Music and David Byrne of The Talking Heads.
Again, according to the BBC, Music Declares Emergency has stated that the mural in Withington is a part of a larger-scale campaign that calls for “urgent action on climate change”. The official title of the campaign is echoed by the mural, “NO MUSIC ON A DEAD PLANET”.
Music Declares Emergency was first launched in July 2019, and they describe themselves as an “independent group with no political party or commercial affiliations”. The group also state on their website that they represent “all areas of the music industry irrespective of genre, role, gender, race or sexuality and is led by individuals united by a deep concern for the climate and ecological emergency we currently face”. MDE has also formed Classical Declares, which is an expansion of the group into the world of classical, opera and choral music, along with a Music Declares Emergency Radio Show, hosted by co-founder Fay Milton and folk singer Sam Lee.
You can find out more about Music Declares Emergency and their current NO MUSIC ON A DEAD PLANET campaign on their website, as well as information on how you can donate to help them out.
