V- Mark Wilkinson & Marillion

MARILLION - 'Misplaced Chilhood' (1985)

Born in 1952, English artist Mark Wilkinson is a specialist in fantasy works that have been used to illustrate book covers, magazines, publicity materials for films, and album covers. Within respect to album covers, Mr. Wilkinson became synonymous with MARILLION. More realistic and etheral than the imagery of Roger Dean, Mr. Wilinson’s album covers are anchored to the lyrics of MARILLION’s original lead singer, Fish, which are generally darker than those of YES’ Jon Anderson. They put in play ‘real’ characters and places, but with a light tone of surrealism. As Mr. Wilkinson himself puts it very well: there is always a face behind the mask which distorts reality.

‘Misplaced Childhood’ (1985) is a good example of the art of Mark Wilkinson for MARILLION: the barefoot, stern-faced child in the uniform of a drum major appears quite real, but the contours of the walls behind him grow blurred with clouds and a rainbow, and he is surrounded by heteroclite objects (cage, harlequin, chameleon, magpie, wedding ring…) - symbols belonging to a group of imagery that recurs from one album to another.

Mark Wilkinson also drew album covers for Fish, ASIA and, in a more ‘common’ style, for IRON MAIDEN, HAWKWIND and JUDAS PRIEST. He is also the creator of a superb draft album cover for PORCUPINE TREE’s ‘Lightbulb Sun,’ which was ultimately not used by the group.