Tracker Pixel for Entry

Squaring the Circle: The Story of Hipgnosis (2022)

Cinema | July 31st, 2023

By Greg Carlson

gregcarlson1@gmail.com

Corbijn Covers Hipgnosis in ‘Squaring the Circle’

Dutch photographer, music video creator, and film director Anton Corbijn – now in his late 60s – brings his artistic insider touch to “Squaring the Circle: The Story of Hipgnosis,” an engaging and entertaining documentary examination of the massively influential team responsible for some of the most recognizable album covers of the 1970s.

Suited to the likes of rock fans and graphic design geeks (and especially the sizable demographic that includes both), the movie is also the story of the personal and creative friendship between two maverick visionaries: the late Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey “Po” Powell.

While Thorgerson and Powell may not be household names to the millions who have purchased one or more albums featuring their handiwork, they are – in several significant ways – rock stars to the rock stars who hired, trusted, and championed them.

Corbijn includes interviews with Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason, Paul McCartney, Peter Gabriel, and others who marveled at the stunning results that would come to visually represent groups like Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin in equal measure to the sonic signatures inside the sleeves.

Watching “Squaring the Circle,” one gets the distinct feeling that Corbijn simply made the movie he wanted to see. All the juiciest stories, legendary productions, and thorny conflicts are collected and laid out like a lavishly illustrated, oversize coffee table tome come to life.

Undoubtedly, a number of viewers who seek out the film – now available to stream following a 2022 world premiere at Telluride and a subsequent screening at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival – already own one or more of the several books devoted to archiving the Hipgnosis aesthetic.

In a time before Photoshop, Hipgnosis relied on analog tools and fierce commitment to achieve impressive results. Complicated and expensive photoshoots (some humorously recounted here) were standard operating procedure for many of the firm’s collaborations, but post-production image manipulation through airbrushing, multiple exposure, and good old fashioned cut-and-paste contributed to the magic.

There are several candidates one could consider for the heavyweight title, but it is in no way possible to fully account for the Hipgnosis phenomenon without mentioning “The Dark Side of the Moon.”

George Hardie’s simple and elegant depiction of white light separated into a rainbow after passing through a prism was inspired by a photo Thorgerson saw in an old physics textbook, but like so many of the arresting pieces to emerge from the Hipgnosis shop, the art worked in complementary tandem with the recording, engaging in a kind of conversation with and extension of the ideas contained in the songs. This interplay could be found in the most successful Hipgnosis projects, which often added humor, puns, and layered meanings – some obvious, some obscure, and some not appreciated by clients – to the experience.

“Squaring the Circle” follows several concert films and underrated narrative features (“Control” and “The American” among them) by Corbijn, who has enjoyed fruitful partnerships with Depeche Mode and U2 that stretch back to the 1980s. His own evocative photography represents a stylistic contrast to Hipgnosis, but the director’s sincere appreciation of their pioneering accomplishments can be seen in the admiration and respect that went into assembling the movie. 

Recently in:

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comNorth Dakota communities will join a “nationwide day of defiance” against authoritarianism and President Donald Trump’s policies on Saturday, June 14. A range of "No Kings" events…

Back-to-school season is on the horizon, but there's still plenty of summer left. Check out our favorite August attractions and events in North Dakota and western Minnesota. And if if you missed them, here are a few excellent May…

June 21, 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.Fargo Theatre, 314 Broadway N., Fargo“We Watch Shudder,” Fargo’s favorite horror podcasters, bring on the darkness during the longest day of the year. The Darkest Day of Horror Film Festival features…

Fighting the good fightBy Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com Over two thousand rallies took place nationwide June 14 as part of the “No Kings" protest. Ten of those protests were held in North Dakota, with thousands in attendance.…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comWhy did Trump run for the White House? That’s where the money is!Remember the story about the robber who, when asked why he robbed banks, responded: “That’s where the money is!?” Well, now…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com The weather warmed up quickly here in the upper Midwest this spring, sparking prime eating season. This means burger battles, food trucks and lake-season food travel. The 2025 Downtown Fargo Burger…

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comThe Moorhead Public Library will offer three free, all-ages outdoor concerts featuring regional bands this summer. The series begins on June 12 with the Meat Rabbits, a group that blends…

By JD Provorsejdprovorse@gmail.comHorror movie fans of the valley, our time has come! Darkest Day of Horror Film Festival comes to the Fargo Theatre on Saturday, June 21. I sat down with JD Provorse, the creator and curator of DDHF…

By Deb Wallworkdwallwork@icloud.comI first met Catherine Mulligan at a party at her house. It was a small gathering, spontaneous, just a few people over for dinner. Directed toward a stack of plates and bowls and a big pot warming…

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comAct Up Theatre, in partnership with Minnesota State University Moorhead, will present “The Sound of Music” on June 10-14. All shows are at 7:30 p.m. at the Minnesota State Moorhead’s…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

The drug that keeps re-purposing itselfBy Ellie Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com There is a drug that is getting a lot of attention nowadays all over the world. It has various commercial names (Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus), but…

By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…

By Vern Thompsonvern.thompson@rocketmail.com Working in the Bakken oil fields of the Williston Basin is so different from my home in Fargo. I'm not judging, because the people working and living in western North Dakota are very…