Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Music And Now Some Friendly Feedback for Justin Vernon on His Proposed Tattoo Designs
Posted by Lauren Beck on Tue, Sep 18, 2012 at 12:40 PM
I named my band after an episode of Northern Exposure. In the episode a women transforms a gold rush village into a cultural place with one single dance in a tavern. They name the town after her, Cicely, Alaska... My favorite, hopefully what your illustrations will be based on, is the image I uploaded of Cicely with arms outstretched in mid-dance. You can't see her with the flowing scarf in her hands, but that would be cool if we could involve that. THANK YOU!This is a really important thing to me. I don't know how to express that exactly... It's a TV show but it weirdly explained my life to me. Cicely is the metaphor for that.
He's since whittled the proposals down to five. Because this is a really important thing for him, we thought we could offer some help choosing the final design. And so after the jump, we do just that. Because we like you, Justin, and don't want you to live your life with regret.
Definitely be sure to tell him your thoughts on the matter at one of Bon Iver's four shows at Radio City Music Hall this week. Until then...
Designer #1 (see more of their ideas here) captures Cicely in a serene, muse-like state more so than the other illustrators, which we imagine will be a calming image for you, the bearer of the tattoo, throughout the years of your life. But on second glance, she could also just be drunk and using the blue wall behind her for balance. Something to think about, Bonny Bear.
Designer #2 offers up a saucy version of Cicely. Hey, to each their own, J-Dog. We won't judge. The attention to detail is commendable, after all, from the flower wreath in her hair and movement of her scarf, to the blossoms and faraway purple mountains in the backdrop—a landscape you seem to especially fond of. The saturation of colors maybe call for some regular upkeep, though.
She's so pretty here. Like a graceful ballet dancer. Well done, Designer #3! In the years to come, Justin, you'll undoubtedly be asked by people at bars and grocery stores what your tattoo means. Is that your girlfriend? Your wife? Is Cicely the name of your daughter? When you get tired of explaining the whole Northern Exposure thing, you should feel confident enough in this design to just answer "yes."
Take note, Bon Iver, this is our pick if we were in your shoes. Congrats to Designer #4. The baroque gold plating at the top balances the simplicity of Cicely's name at the bottom, which implies pureness we like to think. All good things to have on your arm forever. Your tip to the designers ("LETS HAVE A SMALL SMILE ON HER FACE!!!") could elevate the design to an easy top choice, wethinks. Unless! Unless you look at Cicely's face here and see a bit of resemblance to Lana Del Rey. Then don't do it, Justin. You'll regret it within three to six months, and tattoo removal surgery can't be fun.
If you're not yet considering Designer #5's proposal for the pared-down variation, we urge you to do so, JV. Cicely becomes even more striking without her flowery backdrop, taking on the persona of a statuesque Greek goodness (with a nice rosy hue) even more so than in the other designs. Also, less ink, less pain!
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