Thomas Edward "Tom" Wilkes (July 30, 1939 - June 28, 2009) was an American art director, designer, photographer, illustrator, writer and producer-director.
Maps, Directions, and Place Reviews
Life
Wilkes was born in Long Beach, California and raised in southern California, Wilkes attended Long Beach City College, UCLA and the Art Center College of Design in the 1950s and 1960s.
In 1967 Wilkes was the art director of the Monterey Pop Festival. From 1967 through 1969, he was the art director of A&M Records. He was a partner with Barry Feinstein in Camouflage Productions from 1970 through 1973, and a partner in Wilkes & Braun, Inc. from 1973 through 1974. In late 1974 and early in 1975 Tom was a partner and creative director in Hot M Productions along with David Lear, Drake Morton and Merrick Morton. He was art director of ABC Records from 1975 through 1977, and in 1978 he started Tom Wilkes Productions and became president of Project Interspeak, a nonprofit corp.
Wilkes was responsible for scores of award-winning designs. In the Grammy Awards of 1974, he received a Grammy Award for Best Recording Package for Tommy performed by the London Symphony Orchestra & Choir. In addition to creating hundreds of posters, logos, books, trade ads and illustrations, Wilkes designed such hit record covers as The Rolling Stones' Beggars Banquet, George Harrison's All Things Must Pass and The Concert for Bangla Desh, and Neil Young's Harvest. Wilkes also produced and directed TV and radio spots, music videos, films, mixed media presentations and special events.
The two Beatles compilation albums released in 1973, "The Beatles 1962-1966" and "The Beatles 1967-1970", were designed by Tom Wilkes. His name was shown (only on the US versions of these albums) in the bottom left-hand corner of the paper sleeve (side four) for housing the vinyl record.
Lone Star College Photography Video
Album cover credits
Notable contributions
Art Director, Monterey Pop Festival
Wilkes was art director for the Monterey International Pop Festival in 1967. Monterey was the first widely promoted rock festival in the world, and subject of an acclaimed documentary movie entitled Monterey Pop by D. A. Pennebaker.
Wilkes designed all the print material for the festival, including the 80-page program book.
Art Director, 1971 The Concert for Bangla Desh
Album package, photography and design for George Harrison and Friends' Concert for Bangladesh album (1971) was provided by Tom Wilkes and Barry Feinstein for Camouflage Productions. Wilkes also provided design and photography for the subsequent Apple Films movie release. In 2005, he contributed to the documentary The Concert for Bangladesh Revisited with George Harrison and Friends, as part of the DVD release for the concert film.
For the album's front cover, Wilkes used a confronting image showing a naked child beside an empty food bowl, in an effort to bring home to record-buyers the plight of the refugees of the Bangladesh Liberation War. In his book on the Beatles' Apple Records releases, author Bruce Spizer describes the cover as "haunting". Spizer writes: "In selecting the photo, Wilkes wanted a picture that would generate sympathy without being overly horrific ... Wilkes's design is a simple but highly effective logo that drives home the point of what motivated the concert." According to Jonathan Taplin, who served as production manager at the Concert for Bangladesh, Apple distributor Capitol Records were concerned that the image was not commercial enough, but Harrison was resolute that Wilkes's cover should be used.
In 2004, Wilkes discussed this cover image, and his involvement in Harrison's aid project, with journalist Matt Hurwitz of Goldmine magazine:
1973 Grammy Winner for Tommy album package
Wilkes along with his partner, Craig Braun, was awarded [Grammy Awards ] by NARAS in 1973 as art director for the 1972 Ode Records' version of TOMMY/ as performed by the London Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Choir with Guest Soloists
Source of the article : Wikipedia
EmoticonEmoticon