Einstürzende Neubauten logo

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Einstürzende Neubauten's logo
Einstürzende Neubauten's logo

The logo of German music band Einstürzende Neubauten can be described as a human symbol with two arms, two legs (one much shorter than another), thin body and big round head with a circle in its middle. It was not created by or for the band, but is a cave drawing of probably toltec origin.

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[edit] Origin and meaning

According to the band leader Blixa Bargeld, it is an ancient toltec petroglyph, whose meaning is undefined. So, it was taken as a band logo without any special meaning, but to be "filled" with it later[1]. This sign was discovered in a cave in central Mexico and was created between nearly 700 and 1200 A.D. Blixa Bargeld probably found it in 1980 during a search for mythological icons.[2] Some point out at the similarity between this symbol and the big eyeball mask used on the stage by members of the avant-garde group the Residents.

There are several possible interpretations of its meaning, but all of them are just hypothetical. The circle in the middle of the head could be a sun or an (cyclopean) eye. The whole symbol could be a sun-faced man, man with a sun in his head or a sun and a human being.[2]

According to another sources, the logo can be not of toltec but of olmec origin and was found in a cave in Chilpacingo[3].

Though it is an ancient Native American symbol, nowadays it is strongly associated with Einstürzende Neubauten.

[edit] Usage

Cover of an album Halber Mensch (1985)
Cover of an album Halber Mensch (1985)

Einstürzende Neubauten logo is placed on almost all band's production, such as vinyl/cd/dvd covers, posters, artwork, memorabilia, merchandising articles.

The logo is copyrighted by the band[1], but nevertheless it was used in design of the products which are not related to Einstürzende Neubauten. Blixa Bargeld claims to have seen it on a shampoo in France[1]. A very similar symbol is currently being used by Armani for the RED product series. According to the Armani web site, their artwork is created by an African contemporary artist Owusu-Ankomah, who mixes various cultural influences, including early cave drawings.[4].

The band Liars parodied it on the cover of their single "There's Always Room On The Broom".

[edit] Tattoos

Henry Rollins with Einstürzende Neubauten logo tattooed on his shoulder
Henry Rollins with Einstürzende Neubauten logo tattooed on his shoulder

Some of the band's fans have a tattoo with the logo, probably the most prominent of them is Henry Rollins. Also Maniac, formerly of the black metal band Mayhem, and LoudChris, from industrial metal band Stiff Valentine have one. Once Einstürzende Neubauten asked fans to send photos of their tattoos to use in artwork for the upcoming album. The images were printed in the fold-out that came with Strategies Against Architecture III. Also, a collage of the photos appeared in 2000 on a tour poster for the "Silence is Sexy"/"20th anniversary" Tour.

Although hardly visible in the finished film, the little vampire girl in the film 30 Days of Night (film) has the Neubauten man tattooed on her arm.

The logo can be seen in the manga Eden: It's an Endless World! by Hiroki Endo (man in the backgound has it tatooed on his arm).[5]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Austrian interview with Blixa Bargeld (in German)
  2. ^ a b Brand upon the brain: Logo #17: Einstürzende Neubauten
  3. ^ A resource, which claims that the logo is of Olmec origin
  4. ^ Armani's symbol which does look like Neubauten logo
  5. ^ Volume 6, Page 139.

[edit] Links