 The artwork for Blur , as well the album 's associated singles , was designed by design company Yacht Associates , which consists of Chris Thomson and Richard Bull . The pair had also been involved in the design process for Blur 's previous album covers as part of Stylorouge . The cover @-@ art depicts a patient being rushed into an emergency ward . Searching for an image which conveyed " both optimism and scariness " , Yacht Associates chose the stock photo from Tony Stone Images , describing it as " an anaesthetic dream . " In 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die , reviewer Mark Bennett speculates that the cover @-@ art represented the band 's critical status prior to the album . 
