When investigating The 1975’s ‘Me and You Together Song’ single artwork, it is easy to uncover aspects of Tuftes comparison of small multiples. Initially looking at this cover, we are greeted with all 4 members of the band, however one instantly stands out to the viewer which would be Matty. A general viewer of this would first come to the conclusion that this is the lead singer, as he is the only one who has eye contact with the camera. It is common for the lead singer to be at the forefront of any promotional advertisement for the band as they are the most recognisable. Furthermore, the other 3 band members are slightly out of focus but are still visible as soon as the viewer decides to inspect the piece further.
Tufte explains in his evaluation of neurometric maps recording distributions of brain activity, “The contour lines depict only the average differences”(Tufte, 1990) which can be compared to the above image as the band members are still very prominent, with the main difference being the change in focus compared to the lead singer. A reason for this could be a nod to the stereotype amongst famous bands that the lead singer is the one who makes decisions and is the face of the group. This can also be backed up by Matty’s statement from 2016 “I know I am pretentious, but I’d be the first person to tell you that”(Healy, 2016). Using this information and comparing to Tuftes theories, the viewer can come to the conclusion the general order of band members based off the visual differences and general knowledge of the subject in hand.
Tufte, E (1990) Envisioning Information, P. 78
Hattenstone, S. (2016). The 1975’s Matt Healy: “I am pretentious. And I’m not apologising.” [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/nov/11/matt-healy-the-1975-pretentious-not-apologising-interview [Accessed 7 Nov. 2021].
Lodewick, C. (2020). The 1975 : “Me & You Together Song.” [online] @pitchfork. Available at: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/the-1975-me-and-you-together-song/ [Accessed 7 Nov. 2021].
