DESCRIPTION:
OXYGENE 1976-2007

Video conceived, edited and produced by Alessandro Fantini

Paintings:
Alessandro Fantini "Spiracula" oil on canvas 50x70 cm. 2006
Alessandro Fantini "Neo-Hypnerotomachia Poliphili - Tribute to Jarre" oil on canvas 50x70cm. 1997


When in 2006 I painted my own tribute to the 30th anniversary of Jean-Michel Jarre’s “Oxygene” album (a benchmark in the development of electronic music that exerted an enduring spiritual influence on my artistic attitude) I was already planning to exhibit it both online and in a public show. At that time some of my Jarre-related artworks were posted in a special art gallery on the unofficial “JarreUk” website managed by British fan Duncan Walls who appreciated and encouraged my visual interpretations of Jarre’s music. Jarre himself followed and endorsed this website that in a few years became a sort of official web portal gathering all the news regarding his music projects and concerts. Somehow he knew me already since he included my self-portrait in my atelier (sent via email when in 2003 his management requested fans to send their photos for a secret project) in the booklet of his official “AERO”greatest hits album released by Warner Music in 2004. Therefore I decided to unveil my celebrative oil painting titled “Spiracula (Oxygene 1976–2006)” in an exclusive article published on the main page of JarreUk, as I knew that Jarre himself would have been able to see it.
Few years later Duncan called me to make me aware that an illegal Russian "Jarre Greatest hits" digipack released in 2008 with my (uncredited) painting "Spiracula" as cover art, surfaced as a legal release at the Midem festival in Cannes, adding that a fan showed it to Jarre himself after a concert believing it to be a genuine release. Since then it’s still on sale on websites such as Amazon, eBay, Discogs and several on line music stores. Many Jarre collectors considered it a special Warner release thanks to its very professional and stylish packaging, even though the cover art isn’t properly credited: on the rear there’s only the nickname of an elusive designer called “Rider”, and the logo of the illegal Russian label “Star mark” specialized in greatest hits series.
Obviously, I never got any request of authorization for reproduction from
this Russian label before or after the release of this digipack, and I never got any kind of economic or symbolic compensation for the intellectual property rights abuse.

From time to time people post this album cover on Facebook, Youtube and forums as a rare piece of their albums collection. When I can notice it, all I can do is declaring that the painting is my original creation.

Aside of JarreUK feature, my authorship is proven by this animated video using that painting released on my Youtube channel in 2007.