By now, almost everyone should be familiar with the internet phenomenon called “sleevefacing.” Falling somewhere above “Rickrolling” and below “Lolcats,” the process is simple: take an album cover with a close-up or headshot and hold it over your face so that your visible body parts become an extension of the album cover artwork. Then have someone take a photo that creates the illusion that you and the album cover artwork are one and the same.
It’s lowbrow post-Warhol repurposed pop art imagery and anyone can get their 15 minutes of fame doing it. Simply post the photos of your own “sleeveface” creation at the Sleeveface Flikr pool and you could possibly become the next online sensation … at least for a day, anyway.
The website itself culls some of the more creative shots from its founders and users, while a glance at the Flickr pool yields thousands of other interesting also-rans.
Sleeveface.com founder Carl Morris, a Welsh DJ, got the idea for the site while fooling around in a bar. It quickly spread through the internet inspiring a rash of goofy pictures and purchases of Barry Manilow LPs. Surely you know someone who has posted their own homemade sleeveface photo to their MySpace or Facebook page. Now in the latest blog-to-book deal UK publishing imprint Artisan Workman has announced that Sleeveface: Be The Vinyl will be available in the U.S. on Nov. 17 and in the U.K. Dec. 1. Just in time for the holiday season!
To celebrate we’ve put together a gallery of some of our favorite shots from the Sleeveface archives. And be sure to check out the video below to get more details on how to make your very own sleeveface.
