Storm Thorgerson’s image for the cover of The Mars Volta's 2004 record ‘Frances the Mute’ is one of a series of twenty prints, each in an edition of twenty known as the 2020 Series. Storm describes for us how this image came about . . .
"What is there to say about The Mars Volta? An extra ordinary coupling: exotic, extravagant, improvising, unrestrained but as tight as a drum when they need to be - a heady mix of styles woven together at a frenetic pace but interspersed with unexpected longueurs, spun around a story for a film never made for which this, their record, is the soundtrack. One of the aspects of the story was addiction and although it had specific references it also had universal connotations, one of which interested me greatly, namely the idea that the addicted party thinks he’s alright and is in control, knows where he’s headed even though still addicted and therefore probably doesn’t...
"I imagined car drivers navigating their way through town i.e., through life, thinking they are steering a safe path but in fact having no idea where they are going, i.e., drivers wearing custom hoods - not hoods to hide their identity but nicely made velvet accessories that simply and surreally prevent them from seeing or having any idea of where they were driving."