Mark Wilkinson

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Mark Wilkinson's cover for
Misplaced Childhood

Mark Wilkinson (born in Windsor, England on October 3, 1952) is best known for his detailed surrealistic cover art that he created for a number of British bands, most prominently the Progressive Rock band, Marillion. Though versed in a number of techniques, he is considered to be a master of the airbrush.

Wilkinson's first artistic creation for Marillion was the cover of their debut 12" EP Market Square Heroes (1982). Subsequently, Wilkinson's art work would be used on all of Marillion's albums and 12" releases until the Thieving Magpie (1988). When Fish left the band Wilkinson went with him, providing the artwork for several of Fish's 1990s albums and singles.

In 1997, he collaborated with Bill Smith Studios (which had replaced him as Marillion's official art group) on the Best Of Both Worlds compilation CD, which included songs from both eras of the band, and, record label EMI decided, should also include artwork reflective of both eras.

Although Wilkinson will likely always be most closely identified with Fish and Marillion (in a similar fashion to Roger Dean's association with Yes or Paul Whitehead's association with Genesis) he has also done album cover and concert poster artwork for several other bands, including Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, as well as miscellaneous pieces for Bon Jovi, Jimmy Page, the Who and Kylie Minogue. Outside of the music community, he has also done numerous book covers, advertisements, comic art (including a 1993 Judge Anderson episode in the Judge Dredd Megazine) and commissioned pieces.

In 2000, Fish and Wilkinson collaborated on a book, the Masque, which, in "back and forth" format, described the process by which the Marillion and Fish album covers were created.

Mark Wilkinson is also the name of a British herpetologist, a man at the heart of the Natural History Museum

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Persondata
NAME	Wilkinson, Mark
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Artist, Illustrator
DATE OF BIRTH	October 3, 1952
PLACE OF BIRTH	Windsor, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH