The Making of ‘V’
By Jung Lee
August 14, 2024
I began by writing down all the words associated with the letter “V.” Not only the Roman numeral 5, but also Victory, Vibe, Virtue, Voice, Vision, Variety, Volume, Very… I wrote down every word that came to mind, and I wanted to create a composite image of these concepts. It’s remarkable that despite their different meanings, they can all be encapsulated by the letter “V.” I thought that the feeling of Victory was closest to the vibe of the ‘V’ album. For visual references, I looked at images from the TV series ‘V’ and the movie ‘V for Vendetta.’ I aimed to create a mysterious, seductive, and beautiful “V.” I imagined the 5th album of Maroon 5, ‘V,’ captivating the world as spectacularly as an alien invasion.
While searching for a location to shoot, I discovered a reservoir that had gradually started to dry up. Dead trees that had been submerged for a long time were now emerging, rapidly creating a new landscape. I thought that if the V appeared in that setting, it would look as if new life was powerfully emerging and extending outward.
For two weeks, I was obsessed with this one location, attempting to capture the perfect shot. I repeatedly set up and dismantled the neon light, waiting for the moment when the landscape would merge with the V.
Finally, I succeeded in capturing the shot, and soon after, the landscape vanished, as if the stage had disappeared. When I revisited the location two weeks later, the area had become so overgrown with vegetation that it was hard to recognize. That scene will never exist in reality again, and it will only live on as the album cover.
