The stated aim of the University of Houston Digital Library is to “showcase digital collections of materials documenting the history of the University of Houston, City of Houston, and State of Texas,” and on that note, they’ve recently acquired the collected album art of legendary Houston graphic design firm Pen & Pixel.
Most widely known for their 1990s work with No Limit and Cash Money records in the 1990s, Pen & Pixel pioneered a more-is-more look that’s still making waves (just ask Lil B, Yung Lean, or the legions of net artists and Tumblrers doing the same thing)–layers upon layers of photoshop, copious blinged-out type, no idea or image too over-the-top. There are exploding armored cars, pineapples floating in oceans of cash and champagne, gigantic white tigers, and perhaps best of all, wave-surfing Cadillacs.
The influence of Pen & Pixel is nearly impossible to overstate; it’s difficult to imagine what today’s art, music, and internet landscapes would look like without it. Still, that an academic institute like the University of Houston would recognize that and acquire this collection is pretty amazing. See some highlights in the gallery.
