Storm Thorgerson Studio
The art director who bent reality to create surreal visual masterpieces for Pink Floyd and countless other legends.
Storm Thorgerson was an English art director and music video director best known for closely working with Pink Floyd through most of their career. In 1968, he founded the graphic art group Hipgnosis alongside Aubrey Powell, with Peter Christopherson joining them for later commissions. Following the dissolution of Hipgnosis in 1983, Thorgerson and Powell formed Greenback Films to produce music videos. By the early nineties, Thorgerson inaugurated Storm Studios along with Peter Curzon, establishing a loose group of freelancers that included photographer Rupert Truman, designer Finlay Cowan, and creative retoucher Lee Baker.
- Primary Leader
- Storm Thorgerson
- Key Collaborators
- Aubrey Powell, Peter Christopherson, George Hardie, Peter Curzon
- Major Affiliation
- Pink Floyd
- Notable Works
- The Dark Side of the Moon
- Status
- Dormant following Storm Thorgerson's death in 2013
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Thorgerson's work was defined by a unique philosophy: he viewed photography as a 'reality medium' that he could mess with to bend the truth. He often placed objects out of their traditional contexts within vast spaces to create an awkward yet beautiful appearance, famously asking, 'Is it real or not?' His most celebrated design, the cover for The Dark Side of the Moon, was drawn by George Hardie at NTA Studios but conceived by Thorgerson and Hipgnosis. This surreal approach extended through five decades of work, from his early days with Hipgnosis to the completion of his final book, 'The Gathering Storm – A Quartet in Several Parts,' just before his death in April 2013.
In Their Own Story
In 2003, Thorgerson suffered a stroke that left him partially paralysed, yet he remained a tireless worker right up to the end. Despite this physical challenge and a later diagnosis of an undisclosed form of cancer, he continued to oversee projects until his death on 18 April 2013 in London at age 69. His final book, 'The Gathering Storm,' was released posthumously in September 2013, documenting album covers, photographs, and anecdotes from five decades. The industry honoured his legacy when Prog Magazine renamed its Grand Design Award after him in 2013, establishing the 'Storm Thorgerson Grand Design Award' for the year's best-packaged product.
Reader's Guide
To understand the studio's output, one must look at the specific teams and eras. The early Hipgnosis years (founded 1968) featured Aubrey Powell and later Peter Christopherson. Greenback Films formed in 1983 with Powell to produce music videos for artists like Yes ('Owner of a Lonely Heart') and Pink Floyd ('Learning to Fly'). By the nineties, Storm Studios operated as a freelance collective including Rupert Truman (photographer), Finlay Cowan (designer/illustrator), Daniel Abbott, Lee Baker, Jerry Sweet, and Thorgerson's assistants Laura Truman and Charlotte Barnes. The studio designed covers for diverse acts including 10cc, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Muse, and Phish, maintaining a consistent surreal aesthetic even as the personnel shifted.
Did You Know?
- Thorgerson attended Cambridgeshire High School for Boys with Pink Floyd founders Syd Barrett (year below) and Roger Waters (year above).
- The artwork for The Dark Side of the Moon cover itself was drawn by George Hardie, a designer at NTA Studios.
- Thorgerson was the best man at David Gilmour's wedding to Polly Samson in 1994.
- He suffered a stroke in 2003 which left him partially paralysed before his death from cancer in 2013.
- His final book, 'The Gathering Storm – A Quartet in Several Parts,' was completed just before his death and released in September 2013.
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