The White Plague paperback cover 1983

John Conrad Berkey made this cover for ‘The White Plague’ paperback, likely with oils, and it’s all about that swirling, almost science fiction-like vortex. Berkey’s process seems intuitive, layering blues and blacks to conjure this ominous atmosphere. What strikes me is the texture, how the darkness of the storm is a thick, almost palpable mass, while the swirling vortex has trails of light that look painted with thin translucent glazes. The glowing centre feels almost digitally rendered, yet it is clearly paint. You can almost feel the pull and the danger of that twisting form. The more I look, the more I think of Turner’s tempestuous seascapes, but with a 20th-century twist. Both capture a sense of nature’s raw power, but Berkey throws in this layer of unreality, hinting at unknown forces. It’s a reminder that art doesn’t have to offer answers, sometimes it’s more powerful to simply evoke the mystery.