RUSH Album Artist HUGH SYME To Sign Art Of Rush Book At Indianapolis Gallery
December 3, 2019, 5 years ago
Hugh Syme uses the words "unexpected," "evocative," "glib" and "whimsical" to describe the album covers he designed for Rush, reports Indianapolis Star.
Across decades of collaborating with vocalist-bass player Geddy Lee, drummer-lyricist Neil Peart and guitarist Alex Lifeson, Syme sometimes created artwork before albums were completed.
"A lot of times Rush wasn’t ready to send me music," said Syme, who has an exhibition of images on display through February 21 at Renditions Fine Art, Framing & Photography near the intersection of Binford Boulevard and 71st Street.
"Neil would send me lyrics, or he would send me the album title. When I heard Moving Pictures, I said, ‘We’re going to have some guys moving pictures.’ Without question, I knew that immediately."
The cover of Moving Pictures - the 1981 album known for signature songs "Tom Sawyer" and "Limelight" - depicts men carrying fine art outside a government building in Toronto as well as mourners weeping near the "moving" scene.
Syme said the members of Rush also showed a sense of humor when approving his idea for 1982's Signals: a photo of a Dalmatian sniffing a fire hydrant.
And Syme painted a young man pointing a remote control toward a window in a house for the cover of 1985 Rush album, Power Windows.
On December 14, the Renditions gallery will host a book-signing event with Syme. Copies of Syme's 272-page book, Art Of Rush, will be available for purchase.
Read more at Indianapolis Star.
