Editing In Utero (section)

==Title and packaging==

[[File:Transparent Anatomical Manikin (TAM).jpg|thumb|Transparent Anatomical Manikin (TAM), similar to the one featured on the album cover]]

Cobain originally wanted to name the album ''I Hate Myself and I Want to Die'', a phrase that had originated in his journals in mid-1992.<ref>Cross, 2001. p. 277</ref>  At the time, he used the phrase as a response whenever someone asked him how he was doing.  Cobain intended the album title as a joke; he stated he was "tired of taking this band so seriously and everyone else taking it so seriously".<ref>Azerrad, 1994. p. 330</ref>  Novoselic convinced Cobain to change the title due to fear that it could potentially result in a lawsuit.  The band then considered using ''Verse Chorus Verse''—a title taken from its song "Verse Chorus Verse", and a (at the time current) working title of "[[Sappy]]"—before eventually settling on ''In Utero''.  The final title was taken from a poem written by Courtney Love.<ref>Cross, 2001. p. 278</ref>

The art director for ''In Utero'' was Robert Fisher, who had designed all of Nirvana's releases on DGC. Most of the ideas for the artwork for the album and related singles came from Cobain. Fisher recalled that "[Cobain] would just give me some loose odds and ends and say 'Do something with it.'"<ref>Gaar, 2006. p. 79</ref>  The cover of the album is an image of a [[Transparent Anatomical Manikin]], with angel wings superimposed.  Cobain created the collage on the back cover which he described as "Sex and woman and ''In Utero'' and vaginas and birth and death", consisting of model fetuses, a turtle shell and models of turtles, and body parts lying in a bed of orchids and lilies.  The collage had been set up on the floor of Cobain's living room and was photographed by [[Charles Peterson (photographer)|Charles Peterson]] after an unexpected call from Cobain.<ref>Gaar, 2006. p. 83</ref> The album's track listing and re-illustrated symbols from [[Barbara G. Walker]]'s ''The Woman's Dictionary of Symbols and Sacred Objects'' were then positioned around the edge of the collage.<ref>Gaar, 2006. p. 84</ref>

Mannequins of the angel-winged anatomical figure were used as stage props on Nirvana's concert tour supporting ''In Utero''. One such mannequin later featured at the [[Experience Music Project]] museum's exhibition "Nirvana: Taking Punk to the Masses", which ran from April 2011 through 2013 and showcased memorabilia celebrating the band's music and history.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Guitar World]]|date=October 14, 2010|url=https://www.guitarworld.com/news/emp-stage-world-s-most-extensive-nirvana-exhibit|title=EMP to Stage World's Most Extensive Nirvana Exhibit|access-date=March 26, 2020|archive-date=March 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200326070133/https://www.guitarworld.com/news/emp-stage-world-s-most-extensive-nirvana-exhibit|url-status=live}}</ref>