Ogresse

Art direction for the West Coast premiere of vocalist and composer Cécile McLorin Salvant’s song cycle Ogresse. The piece is a dark fairy tale, telling the story of a devilish monster-woman with a taste for human flesh who finds herself in love with a man.

Salvant’s mass appeal and name recognition paired with the 3,000+ capacity of the Paramount meant there was great ticket sales potential—but we needed to reach an audience much wider than our typical SFJAZZ patrons.

The strategy was to appeal to a younger crowd, so I developed a look that incorporates current design trends (i.e. eccentric typefaces and formatting typography on a path), while also taking cues from Salvant’s personal aesthetic. The result is a look that feels moody and edgy, with a touch of whimsy—it is a fairy tale after all.