ArtisticDialogue: Sound's Attraction – A Discussion with Stanley Donwood
In a unique opportunity for fans and art enthusiasts, the renowned artist Stanley Donwood and curator Natasha Podro will be in conversation at the Ashmolean Museum. The event, titled "Stanley Donwood In Conversation: Drawn To Sound," will take place in the Randolph Sculpture Gallery and online via Zoom on Friday, 26th September 2025, from 5.45pm-7pm.
Tickets for this intriguing discussion are £15 each, and booking is essential. The event is part of the Ashmolean's new exhibition titled "This is What You Get," which showcases over 180 objects from Donwood and Yorke's 30-year creative partnership.
Stanley Donwood, best known for his iconic artwork for multiple Radiohead albums such as OK Computer, Kid A, Hail to the Thief, and A Moon Shaped Pool, has developed a unique and deeply intertwined creative collaboration with Thom Yorke. Their partnership began in the late 1980s when they met as art and English literature undergraduates at the University of Exeter and started working together in earnest with the cover art for Radiohead’s 1994 single "My Iron Lung."
Their creative collaboration blends Donwood’s technical artistic skills with Yorke’s strong conceptual input. Donwood, a professional artist with a broad art practice including etchings, graffiti, and digital compositions, provides the polished visual execution. Yorke, though less confident about his technical artistic ability, is highly influential in shaping the conceptual direction, creating striking imagery like nosediving planes, alien landscapes, and apocalyptic themes that match Radiohead’s sonic experimentation.
Over the years, their collaboration has evolved beyond traditional album covers to include diverse media such as paintings, unpublished drawings, digital works, and lyric sketches. Their joint works span from Radiohead’s seminal albums like The Bends (1995) through to Yorke’s solo projects and related acts like The Smile, involving an ongoing dialogue between sound and vision.
The influence of their visuals on Radiohead’s music is profound. Donwood and Yorke’s art encapsulates and amplifies the band’s themes of alienation, technology, and dystopia, making the music experience more immersive and resonant for fans worldwide. This visual identity has become inseparable from Radiohead’s musical output, enhancing the band’s cultural impact and legacy.
The conversation will delve into the evolution of Donwood’s creative partnership with Thom Yorke in step with Radiohead’s music. It will reveal connections between visual and musical creation and highlight Donwood and Yorke’s shared willingness to embrace the accidental. The talk will also offer insight into what drives Donwood’s solo practice, covering technique, theme, process, and politics.
Join this fascinating event to gain a deeper understanding of the creative process behind some of the most iconic imagery in contemporary music culture. Book your tickets now at https://www.ashmolean.org/event/stanley-donwood-conversation-radiohead-visuals-c... and prepare to be captivated by the stories behind the art that has shaped Radiohead's visual identity.
- The conversation with Stanley Donwood and curator Natasha Podro promises to shed light on the intricate relationship between music and visuals, as they discuss their collaborative process in creating some of the most striking imagery in contemporary music culture.
- As part of the unique exhibition "This is What You Get," the event will explore the profound impact of Donwood's artwork on Radiohead's music, delving into their shared exploration of themes such as alienation, technology, and dystopia, all while highlighting the accidental in their creative process.
