From the mid- to late 1990s, Paul Burgess was invited by Jarvis Cocker to document the British band Pulp, taking photographs during video shoots, live gigs, and other events for what has become one of the landmark albums of the period, This Is Hardcore. Written and designed by Burgess and Louise Colbourne, Hardcore contains a candid selection of previously unseen images of the band, behind the scenes and on set, from the four main video shoots made to promote the album. Twenty-five years have passed since Pulp released this extraordinary album, and this book holds up a mirror to the ingenious creative processes and characters behind the seminal record.
With carefully curated images from Burgess’s archive, Hardcore also includes quotations and interviews from then and now by the video directors, band members, and other artists involved with the album. The book contains contributions from Doug Nichol, John Currin, Stephen Mallinder, Sergei Sviatchenko, John Stezaker, and Florian Habicht, all of whom have a connection to the album, the band, or the era. There are also visual responses from a selection of younger artists and designers, such as Alexa Vieira, who have been inspired by Burgess’s photographs and the band’s legacy.
Reviews
It’s the album as seen through the music videos that were shot around its key tracks… It’s a beautiful book. The videos were shot in the next best thing to Technicolor; the sets designed from the underside of the catwalk; and the sentiments were scrawled in lipstick across the mirrors of a chain of public bathrooms. The photos capture it all.
— Goldmine
Contributors
Paul Burgess
Author
Paul Burgess is a freelance designer, photographer, and author. He was course leader for the illustration program at the University of Brighton from 2010 to 2015 and studied at Camberwell School of Arts and the Royal College of Art. Burgess is also a collage artist and his work has been featured in many UK and international publications and exhibitions.
Louise Colbourne
Author
Louise Colbourne is course leader for MA graphic design at the University of Brighton. She also works as an independent creative director, working on collaborative ventures that often represent archival material in new art forms. These projects culminate as programed events, curated exhibitions, and publications and include a wide selection of international artists, musicians, and designers.
