Album Cover

O Brother Where Art Thou is a film loosely based on Homer’s The Odyssey, and is set in 1930s Mississippi. The film follows a group of escaped convicts on their quest for a mysterious treasure. The soundtrack includes a compilation of songs originally written in the 1920s and 1930s, and traditional folk songs. Screen printing the album rather than using an inkjet printer emulated the antique nature of the music, calling back to a more analog and material time. Screen printing also allowed for the use of a heavier weight paper with a rough texture, further exemplifying the handmade, material feel of the album. The design includes period-correct images from the Library of Congress and wood type typefaces on the front cover, label, and zoetrope. These appropriated images create a sense of authenticity in the design. A patterned border based on antique movable type was incorporated to match the old-fashioned aesthetic of the songs curated for the album. The synthesis of these elements forms a design that represents the era that the music was made.