LONDON.- Photographer, designer and artist Andy Vella has been observing The Cure since 1981, travelling with the band on its incredible journey over the past 33 years. In that time he has been responsible for some of the most iconic album artwork of all time, including ‘Faith’, ‘In between Days’ and ‘Disintegration’, capturing the mood of the band in a way no other collaborator has ever achieved. From studio shoots to worldwide tours and sell-out arena shows, ‘Obscure’, which is published by Foruli Codex on 18th September 2014, is a collection of never-before-seen and rare photographs from pivotal moments in this seminal band’s career, all viewed through the lens of Andy Vella. The foreword, written by Robert Smith himself, describes the book as “dreadfully funny, terribly honest and strangely melancholic”, making ‘Obscure’ an absolute must-have for any Cure fan. For more information and to order copies of the book please visit the official Foruli Codex website.

‘Obscure’ lifts the veil on the previously hidden world of The Cure with a contact print from the very first shoot for the 1981 studio album ‘Faith’, firmly setting the tone for what is to come. Over 160 pages, ‘Obscure’ twists and turns through some of the most important moments in The Cure’s career and includes some of the most iconic images from the band’s history. ‘Obscure’ captures many of the band’s best-loved music videos in still image. From the colour-drenched ‘Inbetween Days’, through the candid and playful ‘Close To Me’ to the groundbreaking ‘Boy’s Don’t Cry’, ‘Obscure’ is a thrilling photographic account of the meteoric rise to superstardom of one of the world’s best-loved bands.

Having been curated and compiled personally by Vella, with full input from Robert Smith, ‘Obscure’ boasts page after page of previously unseen images lifted from the archives for the very first time. Bringing the book bang up-to-date, ‘Obscure’ features pre-show images of the band at British music festival Bestival in 2011 through to exclusive shots of The Cure’s critically-acclaimed set at Reading Festival in 2012, before closing on a breathtaking double page spread taken from the pit at the Royal Albert Hall where the band performed Teenage Cancer Trust benefit shows in March this year.

Vella commented “I have no fixed idea of the image I’m after. I always like and trust spontaneity. I love light and dark and what sits in the middle. With The Cure I love putting images to poetry. When I photograph The Cure I am always transported somewhere new.”

Andy Vella is a professional photographer and designer who has been taking photographs since 1977. He has designed many Cure albums under his own name, as well as alongside longterm collaborator Porl Thompson as Parched Art. Andy was born and brought up in Southampton, the birthplace of Benny Hill and King Canute. He was recently appointed to the position of Associate Lecturer in Graphic Design at Middlesex University.