In designing the artwork for Bon Iver’s LP 22, a Million, artist Eric Timothy Carlson delved deeply in the numerology, metaphysical questions, and symbolism in Justin Vernon’s music. In doing so, Carlson explains, “it became apparent that the final artwork was to be something of a tome. A book of lore. Jung’s Red Book. A lost religion. The Rosetta Stone. Sagan’s Golden Record.”
As we prepare for Bon Iver’s headlining performance at Rock the Garden on July 22, we revisit Carlson’s heavily illustrated interview with Walker design director Emmet Byrne. As Byrne writes:
Eric takes us down the rabbit hole, describing the intense, fluid work sessions with Justin Vernon and others at the Eau Claire studios, the numbers that permeate the track list, the influence of digital culture on the new album, the prevalence of cryptic symbolism throughout the Minneapolis/Wisconsin music scene, and the Packers.
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