Sleeveface is an

internet phenomenon An Internet meme, commonly known simply as a meme ( ), is an idea, behavior, style, or image that is spread via the Internet, often through social media platforms. What is considered a meme may vary across different communities on the Internet ...

wherein one or more persons obscure or augment body parts with

record sleeve A record sleeve is the outer covering of a vinyl record. Alternative terms are ''dust sleeve'', ''album liner'' and ''liner''. The term is also used to denominate the outermost cardboard covering of a record, i.e. the ''record jacket'' or ''album ...

(s), causing an illusion. Sleeveface has become popular on social networking sites. The precise origin of the concept is unknown. A collection of photographs was posted online a
Waxidermy.com
in early 2006, though earlier examples of 'Sleevefacing' include a Mad Magazine cover and a sketch on ''

The Adam and Joe Show ''The Adam and Joe Show'' is a British television comedy show, written and presented by Adam and Joe (Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish), which ran for 22 episodes and four series on Channel 4 from 6 December 1996 to 16 May 2001. All four series are ...

'' with

Gary Numan Gary Anthony James Webb (born 8 March 1958), known professionally as Gary Numan, is an English musician. He entered the music industry as frontman of the new wave band Tubeway Army. After releasing two albums with the band, he released his d ...

holding a record sleeve to his face. Other cases include

John Hiatt John Robert Hiatt (born August 20, 1952) is an American singer-songwriter. He has played a variety of musical styles on his albums, including new wave, blues, and country. Hiatt has been nominated for nine Grammy Awards and has been awarded ...

's 1979 ''

Slug Line ''Slug Line'' is singer-songwriter John Hiatt's third album, released in 1979, after four years without a record deal. It is his first of two albums with MCA Records. It was his first charting album, reaching No. 202 on Billboard's album charts, ...

'' album on which he is holding a sleeve (showing his face) in front of his face. and the back of the 1982 album '' Picture This'' by

Huey Lewis and the News Huey Lewis and the News are an American rock band based in San Francisco, California. They had a run of hit singles during the 1980s and early 1990s, eventually achieving 19 top ten singles across the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, Adult Contempora ...

, where Huey is holding the front side of the album (showing his face) in front of his face.
The artwork for

J Rocc The Beat Junkies is an American hip hop crew of DJs specializing in turntablism. Established in 1992 in Orange County, California by J. Rocc. As of 2014, The Beat Junkie Crew also host their own record pool, clothing line and radio station. Th ...

's 12" single 'Play This (One)' features men holding various LP sleeves over their faces. The term 'Sleeveface' was coined in April 2007 by Cardiff resident Carl Morris after pictures were taken of him and his friends holding record sleeves to their faces whilst Djing in a Cardiff bar. His friend John Rostron posted them on the internet and created a group on the nascent Facebook social networking site. From this point, the craze started to become more widely known. John Rostron and Carl Morris are authors of the book 'Sleeveface : Be The Vinyl' published in 2008 by Artisan/Workman which compiles sleevefaces from the worldwide submissions to their website www.sleeveface.com Sleeveface contributors regularly hold Sleeveface parties across the world. Sleeveface contributors have helped organise Sleeveface workshops for children. One such workshop took place at the

National Museum Cardiff National Museum Cardiff ( cy, Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd) is a museum and art gallery in Cardiff, Wales. The museum is part of the wider network of Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales. Entry is kept free by a grant from the Welsh Go ...

in November 2008 as part of the city's annual Sŵn Festival. There is also
Sleevefacer
iPhone app available that allows a user to access album artwork from a music library and sleeveface on an iPhone,

iPad The iPad is a brand of iOS and iPadOS-based tablet computers that are developed by Apple Inc. The iPad was conceived before the related iPhone but the iPhone was developed and released first. Speculation about the development, operating s ...

iPod Touch The iPod Touch (stylized as iPod touch) is a discontinued line of iOS-based mobile devices designed and marketed by Apple Inc. with a touchscreen-controlled user interface. As with other iPod models, the iPod Touch can be used as a music pl ...

References

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External links

Sleevefacer for iPhone, iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation), iPad 2 Wi-Fi, iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G, iPad (3rd generation), iPad Wi-Fi + 4G, iPad (4th generation), iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular (4th generation), iPad mini and iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular on the iTunes App Store

Sleevefaced
* https://web.archive.org/web/20120425114428/http://www.sleevemyface.com/
Sleeveface - people holding vinyl record sleeves and covers in front of their faces

galeriephos.com

Flickr gallery

Waxidermy gallery

Carl Morris
Internet culture