Views by Roger Dean

 Views by Roger Dean

'Views' was published in 1975 by Dragon's Dream. It's a well-made trade paperback book, measuring 12 x 12 inches (i.e., the size of a vinyl LP record cover), 155 pages, printed on glossy stock.

I remember 'Views' as one of the touchstone 'stoner art' books of the 1970s, in company with 'Eschatus', by Bruce Pennington, 'Beauty and the Beast' by Chris Achilleos, and 'Mythopoeikon' by Patrick Woodroffe.

Views advertisement from the April 8, 1976 issue of Rolling Stone magazine

Roger Dean was born on August 31, 1944 in Ashford, Kent. He lived for a time in Hong Kong, where his father, a serviceman in the UK army, was stationed. In 1961 he enrolled in Canterbury School of Art, and in 1965 he attended the Royal College of Art. He graduated in 1968 and created his first cover art for an album. 

Although Dean's primary focus was on architecture and design, he became known during the 1970s as an album cover artist, based on his compositions for the group 'Yes'. On the eve of his 79th birthday, Dean remains active in design and studio art.

Aware of the attention his art was receiving, Dean partnered with his brother Martin, and Hubert Schaafsma, to found the Dragon's Dream publishing company, in order to issue a book on Roger's art. Both trade paperback and hardcover editions of 'Views' were released. A followup volume, 'Magnetic Storm',  was issued by Dragon's Dream in 1984.

'Views' presents Dean's artwork from the 1960s on into the early 70s. The explanatory text is provided by Dominy Hamilton and Carla Capalbo. A large part of the book is devoted to his work in design, particularly in furniture and home decor. These are not major interests for me, so I am focusing my overview ono the sections of the book dealing with Dean's graphic art.

As for Roger Dean's art, well, it is much more 'artistic' than what was produced in the 1970s by Dean's fellow sci-fi and fantasy artists, such as Tim White, Angus McKie, Chris Foss, and Chris Moore. In his use of marbling he is perhaps more allied with Patrick Woodroffe, among that cohort. 

Most of Dean's work for commercial purposes features sci-fi and fantasy figures superimposed on strange landscapes where the rocks, trees. cloud formations, and terrain are depicted in a stylized manner. 

The book devotes attention to Dean's artwork for the album covers for the group Yes, which is logical, since he gained greatest attention for that work (beginning in 1971 with the art for the album Fragile). 

More so than many album cover artists, Dean was quite involved with the band when it came to cover design, and he designed the stage sets for the band's tours in the 1970s.

A 2020 article about Dean's role with the band is available here.

Who will want a copy of 'Views' ? Not being a huge Roger Dean fan, I can't say 'Views' is a must-have, but if you are a hardcore Yes fan, then you will want a copy. Seventies stoners looking for nostalgia also will be interested. But, with each passing year, those copies available for sale are getting pricier (around $30 on up), so the book soon will be out of reach of the casual collector..........!