Fugue — Single Artwork & Studio Portraits

A physical image system for a music release: paintings became backdrop, plinth and atmosphere.

The Challenge

For Fugue, the starting point was not a digital moodboard but the question of how to give a release a material presence. The project needed cover direction and studio portraits that could carry the character of the band without becoming a conventional press shot.

The Australian frontman shared references for the cover, then left space for the portrait work to develop in the studio. That freedom made it possible to build an image language rather than simply reproduce a reference.

The Direction

I used two original paintings as working elements of the set. One became the backdrop; another became a physical platform within the composition. The paintings were not decorative props placed after the fact. Their marks, scale and surface gave the portraits a visual environment with a physical point of view.

This created continuity between artwork and photography: the same hand that made the painted surfaces also directed the framing, the distance and the visual tension around the band.

From Reference to Set

• Original paintings were selected and positioned as physical set materials.

• Cover artwork was developed in relation to the music project.

• Studio portraits were directed with attention to presence, gesture and surface.

• Backstage documentation was retained as evidence of the physical making process.

Scope and Credits

Role: Artwork direction, studio photography and set design
Scope: Single artwork and selected studio portraits
Project: Fugue — Italian-Australian music project
Physical elements: Original paintings by Ivan Cacchioni used as backdrop and pedestal

Selected work. Final public naming and image selection will be confirmed with the band before publication.