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MINISTRY - Prescripture: A Visual History
Prescripture is a fully authorized visual history with over 200 pages of rare and unseen photos, artwork, and other ephemera that spans Ministry's entire career. We've raided Uncle Al's personal collection of behind-the-scenes artifacts and have supplemented those items with contributions from band members past and present along with visual artists, Brian Shanley and Paul Elledge. The book also features an introduction by Jello Biafra and exclusive quotes from members of Smashing Pumpkins, ZZ Top, Cheap Trick, NWA, Ramones, Nine Inch Nails, Tool, Megadeth, AFI, Slayer, Jane's Addiction, Rammstein, The Flaming Lips, Devo, Butthole Surfers, Static-X, Anthrax, White Zombie, Death Grips, Bauhaus, Killing Joke, High on Fire, GWAR, Einstürzende Neubauten, Revolting Cocks, and many more!
- GenresMusic
246 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2019
2 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Aaron Tanner
10 books9 followersAaron Tanner is a graphic designer, musician, and underground music archivist from Evansville, Indiana.
Tanner’s mastery of design earned him recognition within the underground music community and ultimately led him to become Ween's resident designer, a position he has held for over 20 years. He founded Melodic Virtue in 2004, a design firm catering to bands and regional businesses. While maintaining a diverse client roster that included Explosions in the Sky, Pinback, Mono, Juliana Hatfield, Tanya Donelly, Epitaph Records, Secretly Group, Temporary Residence Ltd., Joyful Noise Recordings, and pet celebs Lil BUB and Doug the Pug, Tanner created Pixies: A Visual History, Volume 1 with co-author Sean Rayburn. The acclaimed publication received multiple national awards and propelled Tanner's career in publishing.
Inspired by visually focused books devoted to mainstream artists, he recognized the absence of similar works for important yet underrepresented bands with their own rich visual histories. Determined to rectify this, Tanner delved into creating coffee table books that seamlessly combined his two passions: visual art and underground music. His unconventional design work with The Residents, Butthole Surfers, and Ministry has received critical acclaim, and each publication has earned a place in the permanent collections of esteemed institutions such as the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Punk Rock Museum, the Archive of Contemporary Music, and the Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science.
Tanner brings a DIY ethic to the books he creates, incorporating a hands-on approach into his design and production process. That, along with his enduring commitment to underground artists, has opened a window into their unique legacies through his visually captivating books, combining compelling design, rare photographs, artwork, and firsthand anecdotes from fans and contemporaries. With each project, Tanner provides a deep and genuinely authentic glimpse behind the curtain, leaving an indelible mark on the world of design at the intersection of art and music.
Tanner’s mastery of design earned him recognition within the underground music community and ultimately led him to become Ween's resident designer, a position he has held for over 20 years. He founded Melodic Virtue in 2004, a design firm catering to bands and regional businesses. While maintaining a diverse client roster that included Explosions in the Sky, Pinback, Mono, Juliana Hatfield, Tanya Donelly, Epitaph Records, Secretly Group, Temporary Residence Ltd., Joyful Noise Recordings, and pet celebs Lil BUB and Doug the Pug, Tanner created Pixies: A Visual History, Volume 1 with co-author Sean Rayburn. The acclaimed publication received multiple national awards and propelled Tanner's career in publishing.
Inspired by visually focused books devoted to mainstream artists, he recognized the absence of similar works for important yet underrepresented bands with their own rich visual histories. Determined to rectify this, Tanner delved into creating coffee table books that seamlessly combined his two passions: visual art and underground music. His unconventional design work with The Residents, Butthole Surfers, and Ministry has received critical acclaim, and each publication has earned a place in the permanent collections of esteemed institutions such as the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Punk Rock Museum, the Archive of Contemporary Music, and the Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science.
Tanner brings a DIY ethic to the books he creates, incorporating a hands-on approach into his design and production process. That, along with his enduring commitment to underground artists, has opened a window into their unique legacies through his visually captivating books, combining compelling design, rare photographs, artwork, and firsthand anecdotes from fans and contemporaries. With each project, Tanner provides a deep and genuinely authentic glimpse behind the curtain, leaving an indelible mark on the world of design at the intersection of art and music.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 16, 2023
A limited edition run of 2000, I own copy 1265. It’s an inauspicious number but my kabala remains secure.
This is a hard bound collection of old photos, tour posters, unreadable lyric sheets and quotes from colleagues and fans of varying readability.
It isn’t all encompassing but if you are a fan of Ministry you’ll enjoy the memories it evokes as you flip through it while drinking too much and listening to your favorite Ministry album too loud.
This is a hard bound collection of old photos, tour posters, unreadable lyric sheets and quotes from colleagues and fans of varying readability.
It isn’t all encompassing but if you are a fan of Ministry you’ll enjoy the memories it evokes as you flip through it while drinking too much and listening to your favorite Ministry album too loud.
April 22, 2020
A wonderful scrapbook of photos, ephemera and testimonials.
November 20, 2022
This over-designed collection of pages is light on content, to say the least. Sure, there're kind quotes from Al's friends and converts on his legacy, some more lucid than others, but that's about it. Where to start: the total lack of meaningful photos, the almost total lack of captions, the spare use of memorabilia? Usually a coffee table book convinces the reader that there's enough ephemera to fill several books; this book suggests there isn't enough to fill even one.
February 28, 2025
Yes, this is a picture book...with lots of cool concert poster art and pics of Uncle Al's frightening 45-year physical transformation. The fawning celebrity tributes scattered throughout are well justified, given Jourgensen's artistic importance and countercultural icon status.
March 17, 2024
There's nothing to read in these books, and calling Aaron Tanner an author is a stretch. It's a giant overpriced picture book.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews