K: Digipak analysis

I also looked at Jack Johnson's album cover for 'In Between Dreams'. After identifying the visual and linguistic signs I was able to break down the components which made this graphic design so visually pleasing. The strong use of the yellow background not only created a sense of an autumnal season but the sense of happiness, watching sunrises and sunsets; the softness and beauty of nature with the harsher black silhouette. The white and black text at the top right hand corner also further reinforces this idea, the writing a thin un-bold and undramatic font to harmonize the graphic design. The iconic guitar and the man's non verbal language holding or picking fruit off the tree acts as a visual signifier directly assuming that he is the artist, Jack Johnson. Linking back to the idea of the tree of life, reflecting stereotypical folk traits of being in touch with nature, the sense of organic dreams, a paradox to the rhythmic song, a mellow sense of escapism or reality.

I believe the image reflects his personal subconscious, writing about his dreams. The tree connoting harmony, the roots of his dreams, denoting his simplistic lifestyle with the unconscious link to the garden of Eden and the forbidden fruit. His small figure in the picture may reflect the start of his career, the tree a symbol of his growth in the music industry. The costume also acting as an indexical sign, a relaxed down to earth artist.

The social myths of this image reinforces his folk singer/songwriter anti-capitalist and anti-consumerist discourse. The genre of music embodying the opposite of materialism, a paradox to indie music. The indexical signs of this cover reflects the artists personality and identity, successful band promotion and his ideas of the importance of relaxing, nature and life values; being in touch with emotions and feelings and relationships.