Pavement – Quarantine the Past 

Pavement – Quarantine the Past (2010) is a greatest hits album from the indie rock band Pavement, released by Matador Records. The cover art, created by Steve Keene, shows a hand-painted scene of a dragon and devils. Keene’s style is rough, bright, and a little chaotic, which fits with the hand crafted feel that indie rock bands like Pavement are known for. His artwork matches the band’s music, which is pretty experimental, reflecting their rejection of mainstream trends.

The album cover is important because it represents the way indie rock bands in the 1990s and 2000s created their own visual identity. Instead of using slick, highly produced art like popular pop or rock bands, they often chose handmade or unique artwork that better reflected their music. By working with Keene, Pavement showed that they valued a community-driven approach to their visuals. Keene’s art style fits perfectly into this scene, offering something different from the polished album covers that were more common at the time.

The bright colors and medieval imagery are very eye-catching and open to interpretation. The dragon and devil-like figures could symbolize struggles or rebellion, which are themes often found in alternative music. The art doesn’t follow digital trends; it feels more personal and expressive. This goes along with the band’s overall message: they weren’t trying to conform, but to create something that felt real and raw. The messy, spontaneous look of Keene’s work helps listeners to see the connection between the music and the art.

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Reynolds, Simon. Retromania. Faber & Faber, 2011.

Radwan, Genevieve. “The Indie Rock Visual Aesthetic.” Journal of Visual Culture, 2018.