The Meddle limited edition print was one of the very first selection of Pink Floyd album cover designs to be revisited and re-envisaged as an art print by Storm Thorgerson at the very beginning of this century.

The album artwork for Meddle, Pink Floyd’s fourth studio album, was a straightforward affair technically speaking. Separate 5×4 photographs were taken of a human ear in close up and of ripples in a big tray of water. The two selected images were then sandwiched together. In preparing this fine art print Storm Thorgerson returned to the original two transparencies, cleaned them up and effected a precise copy of the original superimposition in the computer. The original composition was duplicated, but the definition refined, the colour fidelity and translucent quality improved. Old art rescued and enhanced by modern technology. What was not so straightforward were the meanings and implications. What was the design about? What relevance did it have? Somehow the cover seemed as obscure as the title. Why Meddle? Is that meddle as in interfering? Who or what is meddling with what? Is the band meddling with our minds? Is the water interfering with the ear? Was someone meddling in Pink Floyd affairs? Was it a misspelling? And so on and so forth. The relevance can’t be simply water ripples like concentric waves of sound, that’s too easy and not particular to Floyd, unless the design refers to repeated circles, like repeated sounds or echoes, which is the main track on the album, occupying a whole side of the vinyl.

There was no doubting the quality of the music. Meddle is a great album, much underrated, except by cognoscenti. Perhaps the same or similar could be said for the album art, now much enlivened in the refurbished state. Some meddling is worth it. This silkscreen print is a chance to see the full artwork as originally created, before it was cropped for the square format of the LP.

Signed by: Storm Thorgerson

Image size: 15 x 25 inches / Paper size: 25.5 x 33 inches

Edition size: 295

Print type: Silkscreen

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