Art Devo
Devo lead singer Mark Mothersbaugh finds another calling as an artist with "Beautiful Mutants"
By: Evan Corcoran
Issue date: 9/6/07 Section: The Buzz
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Come and enter the bizarre world of Mark Mothersbaugh. The lead singer of Devo is leading a life of more than just a new wave, post-punk extraordinaire.
His "Beautiful Mutants" exhibit, which opened Sept. 1 at Cal State Fullerton's Grand Art Center, gave a little peek through the spectacles of this 30-year plus artistic veteran.
The exhibit displayed photographic works from Mothersbaugh's 288-page hardcover book, "Beautiful Mutants," published by Grand Central Press and designed by Ryan DiDonato.
The collaborative efforts of DiDonato and Mothersbaugh on this project produced a book with some out-of-the-ordinary works of photographic art.
The concept for Mothersbaugh's art stemmed from looking at funhouse mirrors, he said. Mothersbaugh created the pieces by hand and used computer technology to give life to the wacky images in his book.
"I used to take all my own pictures, now I use family album photos or pictures from wherever possible," Mothersbaugh said.
Mothersbaugh creates, or 'corrects' (as he says), these images to show a sense of symmetry.
"These corrected photographic images allow the true tenant of these human faces and figures to be 'flushed-out' and viewed without the disguise that we all so expertly hide behind," Mothersbaugh said in a written description of his art at www.mutatovisual.com.
A three-headed pug floating in a pool, or a body made up of the two lower torsos joined together display an eerie yet funhouse feel to Mothersbaugh's work.
"These are strange pictures but I like them, they are kind of creepy," said Kristen Stroud, an admirer of the pictures on display at the gallery.
This is not the first book of photographic art Mothersbaugh has released. His first book, "What I Know, Volume 1," was released in 1975. Mothersbaugh also had three other volumes of this book that were never released because of the publisher, he said.
"This book ["Beautiful Mutants"] is the best book," Mothersbaugh said.
His "Beautiful Mutants" exhibit, which opened Sept. 1 at Cal State Fullerton's Grand Art Center, gave a little peek through the spectacles of this 30-year plus artistic veteran.
The exhibit displayed photographic works from Mothersbaugh's 288-page hardcover book, "Beautiful Mutants," published by Grand Central Press and designed by Ryan DiDonato.
The collaborative efforts of DiDonato and Mothersbaugh on this project produced a book with some out-of-the-ordinary works of photographic art.
The concept for Mothersbaugh's art stemmed from looking at funhouse mirrors, he said. Mothersbaugh created the pieces by hand and used computer technology to give life to the wacky images in his book.
"I used to take all my own pictures, now I use family album photos or pictures from wherever possible," Mothersbaugh said.
Mothersbaugh creates, or 'corrects' (as he says), these images to show a sense of symmetry.
"These corrected photographic images allow the true tenant of these human faces and figures to be 'flushed-out' and viewed without the disguise that we all so expertly hide behind," Mothersbaugh said in a written description of his art at www.mutatovisual.com.
A three-headed pug floating in a pool, or a body made up of the two lower torsos joined together display an eerie yet funhouse feel to Mothersbaugh's work.
"These are strange pictures but I like them, they are kind of creepy," said Kristen Stroud, an admirer of the pictures on display at the gallery.
This is not the first book of photographic art Mothersbaugh has released. His first book, "What I Know, Volume 1," was released in 1975. Mothersbaugh also had three other volumes of this book that were never released because of the publisher, he said.
"This book ["Beautiful Mutants"] is the best book," Mothersbaugh said.
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