Edward Colver Explained

Edward Colver
Birth Name:Edward Curtiss Colver
Birth Date:17 June 1949
Birth Place:Pomona, California, U.S.[1]
Years Active:1978–present[2]
Occupation:Photographer
Spouse:Karin Swinney

Edward Curtiss Colver (born June 17, 1949) is an American photographer, best known for his early punk photographs.[3] [4]

Overview

Colver not only created a visual document of the birth of the hardcore punk in suburban Southern California from late 1978 to mid-1984, but also he greatly helped in defining the photography style and graphic identity of the American hardcore punk movement.

He was actually in the right place at the right time, and with the right attitude, but he was not merely a witness in the eye of the storm, he was indeed a living part of that big picture, and in this regard, his early work is an authentic self-portrait of the Southern California hardcore punk scene in its golden years.

His work was featured extensively in the book (2001), written by Steven Blush, and in its documentary film version, American Hardcore (2006), directed by Paul Rachman.

Early life and family

A third-generation Southern Californian born on June 17, 1949, in Pomona, California, Colver was named after an ancestor who arrived in the United States from Cornwall, England, in 1635.[5] Edward's father, Charles Colver, was a forest ranger for 43 years. Upon his retirement, Charles was presented with the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Award by President George H. W. Bush at the White House. The tallest peak southwest of Mount San Antonio aka Mount Baldy, was named Colver Peak after Charles.

Photography

Essentially a self-taught photographer, Colver had a brief formal training during night classes at University of California, Los Angeles, where he studied beginning photography with Eileen Cowin. Largely influenced by Dada and Surrealism, Colver was most impressed in his early years by the art of Southern Californian native Edward Kienholz. In the late 1960s, Edward's perspective on life and art was changed by his exposure to composers such as Edgard Varèse, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Krzysztof Penderecki and John Cage.

Three months after he began taking photographs, Colver had his first photograph published: an image of performance artist Johanna Went, featured in BAM magazine. Since then he has shot photographs for dozens of record labels including EMI, Capitol and Geffen. His pictures have been featured on more than 500 album covers and include some of the most recognizable and iconic covers of the punk era.

Selected cover art contributions

YearAlbum titleArtistContribution
1980Group SexCircle Jerksfront, back cover and inner sleeve photos[6]
1981"Louie Louie" (single)Black Flagfront and back cover photos[7]
1981DamagedBlack Flagfront cover photo
1981Danger Zone (EP)China Whitefront cover photo
1981Let Them Eat Jellybeans!various artistsback cover photo[8]
1981Reagan's InWasted Youthback cover and insert sheet photos[9]
1981T.S.O.L. (EP)T.S.O.L.front cover photo
1981Dance with MeT.S.O.L.some inner sleeve photos[10]
1981Welcome to Reality (EP)Adolescentsfront cover photo[11]
1982How Could Hell Be Any Worse?Bad Religionfront cover and some insert sheet photos[12]
1983Mommy's Little MonsterSocial Distortionback cover photo[13]
1983L'amourLewisfront cover photo[14]
2019Submit to the BladeThe Balboasback cover photo

See also

Further reading

Further viewing

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://edwardcolver.com/?page_id=9 "Photographer Biography"
  2. Frankel, Ricky; Wisniewski, Kira (November 26, 2014). "Interviews: Edward Colver". Punknews. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
  3. http://edwardcolver.com/ "Photographer Edward Colver "The Eye of LA Punk""
  4. http://www.discogs.com/artist/580304-Ed-Colver "Ed Colver Discography at Discogs:"
  5. Web site: ACHOF Featured Artist Portfolio – Photographer Edward Colver . June 25, 2015 . 2022-03-26. Album Cover Hall of Fame.
  6. http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=374323 Circle Jerks, Group Sex, cover art
  7. http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=1141466 Black Flag, "Louie Louie", cover art
  8. http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=1426089 Various artists, Let Them Eat Jellybeans!, cover art
  9. http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=412865 Wasted Youth, Reagan's In, cover art
  10. http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=374434 T.S.O.L., Dance with Me, cover art
  11. http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=631106 Adolescents, Welcome to Reality, cover art
  12. https://www.discogs.com/release/501472-How-Could-Hell-Be-Any-Worse/images Bad Religion, How Could Hell Be Any Worse?, cover art
  13. http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=1311172 Social Distortion, Mommy's Little Monster, cover art
  14. http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=5872926 Lewis, L'Amour, cover art