An identity system for John Cage’s silent composition, 4’33”. A piece that blurred the lines between sound and music.

The LP cover reflects the album’s perceived silence and depicts several motifs that encapsulate the composition’s genesis: an amphitheater where the piece was recorded, a subwoofer representing the amplification of sound, and a sand garden symbolizing Cage’s connection to Zen Buddhism. The base color is a nod to Rauschenberg’s White Painting, a series of “blank canvases” that directly inspired the creation of 4’33”.

In contrast, the back cover exposes the hidden noise that lies beneath the composition’s perceived silence. Environmental and unintended sounds act as music, emphasizing Cage’s Zen world-view and the power of unmediated experiences.

4’33” transformed sound into music and redefined the art of listening.