Vaughan Oliver, the designer who created iconic album artwork for Pixies, Cocteau Twins, The Breeders and more, has died today (29 December) aged 62. A representative confirmed the news to Pitchfork.
Oliver was best known for his work at the record label 4AD – a working partnership that started in the 1980s and continued for 30 years.
Oliver helped shape the visual identity of 4AD and worked on a number of well-known album covers including Pixies’ Surfer Rosa and Doolittle. He also worked on designs for the likes of Cocteau Twins, This Mortal Coil, Throwing Muses, and Dead Can Dance.
Pixes shared a tweet commemorating Oliver as did a host of admirers and peers. Read a selection of tributes below.
Vaughan Oliver RIP pic.twitter.com/EWs62C74P6
— PIXIES (@PIXIES) December 29, 2019
RIP Vaughan Oliver, the designer of so many iconic album covers for 4AD 💔 pic.twitter.com/kJqnPbqirn
— Young Galaxy (@younggalaxy) December 29, 2019
RIP Vaughan Oliver. A visionary with a language all of his own. Gone far too soon, but he leaves us with whole worlds still to explore pic.twitter.com/WayZEm2LZn
— ཊལབསརངཧ (@David_Rudnick) December 29, 2019
Oh no – what a giant in shaping a fan’s experience & relationship to the records they love. Amazing work. RIP #VaughanOliver https://t.co/A23WEM5Ri7
— superchunk (@superchunk) December 29, 2019
So sad to hear about the passing of Vaughan Oliver, a big design influence of mine and the genius behind a ton of favorite albums’ visuals. pic.twitter.com/4betIiXCLh
— Ciara (@CiaraNPitts) December 29, 2019
In Memoriam, our friend Vaughan Oliver, 12 Sept, 1957-29 Dec, 2019. “Man’s testicle alone (pushed through a piece of card to ensure it’s loneliness).” You will be missed. @4AD_Official @beggarsgroup #vaughanoliver pic.twitter.com/7mGoHJPnPo
— theBreeders (@thebreeders) December 29, 2019
For a few years in the early 2000s when I was working on the Pixies book, I thought about Vaughan Oliver so much. What a huge loss. pic.twitter.com/c5QCgbgs0p
— cganz (@mehpatrol) December 29, 2019
Vaughan Oliver designed a gorgeous cover for @SimonRetromania’s debut Blissed Out that looks like stained glass in the proverbial cathedral of sound—totally perfect for a book that weaves in Cocteau Twins, AR Kane, Throwing Muses & Pixies. pic.twitter.com/Z8qg7OBAdd
— Joy Press (@Joypress) December 29, 2019