Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Dr. Dre, and More Inspire Museum-Worthy Art
Interscope Records is celebrating its 30th anniversary this month — and to commemorate the occasion, the label is collaborating with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art for a special exhibition showcasing art inspired by some of the label’s artists.
Titled Artists Inspired by Music: Interscope Reimagined, the exhibition will feature works influenced by albums and songs by the likes of Billie Eilish, Gwen Stefani, Olivia Rodrigo, Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, Tupac Shakur, among others.
“Interscope’s original mission was to find the most profound artists, empower their creativity and watch what happens,” said Jimmy Iovine, Interscope’s co-founder, in a release. “For the 30th [anniversary], we wanted to continue that vision by assembling the most admired visual artists and empower them with that same creative license to honor the musical artists we have worked with over three decades.”
Among the works is a naturalistic painting of Dr. Dre — in golden armor and surrounded by flowers and greenery — by Kehinde Wiley, the artist who was tasked with the presidential portrait of Barack Obama.
Meanwhile, Lamar’s Good Kid, m.A.A.d city record inspired visual artist Rashid Johnson’s mosaic-like artwork also displayed in the exhibition.
Among the albums that inspired work are Gaga’s Joanne and Fame Monster, Lana Del Rey‘s Norman Fucking Rockwell, Paradise, and Born to Die, BLACKPINK‘s The Album, Nine Inch Nails’ Broken, Selena Gomez‘s Rare, and Black Eyed Peas‘ The E.N.D.
“There is a long history of record album covers being designed by visual artists,” said LACMA CEO Michael Govan. “As an institution that has long explored the intersection of art and other sectors, including design and music, LACMA has been collecting record album designs over the past several years, and it’s inspiring to see these artists reinterpret three decades of iconic contemporary music.”
