MEATLOAF ASCENDANT

Album cover for THE VERY BEST OF MEATLOAF

Oct 28, 2024

A solitary figure stands at the edge of a ruined overpass staring down at a bat demon perched on a spire amid the ruins of a city. Everything at ground level has been reduced to rubble as painted in cool blues and purples. On the horizon, broken stubs of buildings are set against a pink and purple sunset. Above low lying clouds, the sky turns red. Highlighted in yellow, the clouds take the form of a rider on motorcycle with one arm thrown back and mouth open in a scream as he tears upward from the horizon. — MEATLOAF ASCENDANT (1997), Acrylic on Watercolor Board - 30" x 20"

Cover art for a greatest hits album that featured songs from both of MeatLoaf's Bat Out of Hell albums. The signature bat and motorcycle had to appear, but as you can see I gave them a twist this time around.

I was asked to make so many changes to the painting—a product of art direction by committee—that I felt compelled to make one addition of my own.

Close detail from MEATLOAF ASCENDANT featuring an arrow pointing to a kitchen sink rendered among less identifiable debris. — Kitchen sink added as wry commentary on the difficulties of pleasing all involved

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Additional images from MEATLOAF ASCENDANT

LEFT: Detail from MEATLOAF ASCENDANT featuring a solitary figure standing at the edge of a ruined overpass looking down at a bat demon perched on the ruined spire of a skyscraper. CENTER: Detail from MEATLOAF ASCENDANT featuring a solitary figure standing at the edge of a ruined overpass. Patterns in the clouds show him mounted on a motorcycle, a call back to the battle with the bat demon. RIGHT: Detail from MEATLOAF ASCENDANT featuring the bat demon perched on a ruined spire in the ruins of a city where barely anything still stands. — Details from MEATLOAF ASCENDANT

Album cover for THE VERY BEST OF MEATLOAF (Virgin/Epic). The bag isn't perched on the spire but is in flight. — THE VERY BEST OF MEATLOAF (Virgin/Epic)

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MEATLOAF ASCENDANT

Album cover for THE VERY BEST OF MEATLOAF

Additional images from MEATLOAF ASCENDANT

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