Photo Credit: Brent Broza
Collection of Neo-Dada Stream of Conscious Visual Poetry
by DEVO Co-Founder
Published by Blank Industries Pre-Order Here
Today, one of the era’s most unique and prolific conceptual artists, composers, and DEVO co-founder Mark Mothersbaugh has announced his new book, APOTROPAIC BEATNIK GRAFFITI. The breathtaking visual journey features a collection of neo-dada stream-of-conscious visual poetry, representing one human’s observations of life on a sliding planet. Published by Blank Industries in association with Mutmuz Publishing, the hardcover art book is due out March 12. Check out a flip-through of the book here.
APOTROPAIC BEATNIK GRAFFITI has been a lifelong project of Mothersbaugh’s, inspired by Beat-style stream-of-conscious expression. His interest in this dates back to when he was a child in the 1950s. “I remember seeing human wreckage sprawled on the sidewalks of downtown Akron,” He explains. “My mom would hold my hand and try to hurry me past a mumbling, shouting man as I was entranced, trying to decipher the meaning of what he was saying. I felt like he might know something the rest of us didn’t and he was trying to share it.” Mothersbaugh continues, “Because of my early-age eyesight impairments, I knew there were things happening all around us that vision kept us from seeing. Maybe there were things we weren’t hearing as well. Later on, I drew comparisons of these raw emotional forms of expression to the work of beats, freeform jazz, and artists like Captain Beefheart and Sun Ra, all of which heavily influenced DEVO’s curiosity in pushing the boundaries of what was considered normal.”
In 1969, Mothersbaugh discovered ‘mail art,’ the art movement based on the principle of sending small-scale works through the postal service. He quickly began participating, creating art images and poetry on postcards and corresponding with artists around the world. Years later, he began saving the cards he created. Every time he had 100 new pieces, he’d collect them in a red archival book – now having close to 700 books in his collection. APOTROPAIC BEATNIK GRAFFITI represents five books from his vast collection that have been a source of lyrics, album titles, graphics, and concepts for larger art pieces.
APOTROPAIC BEATNIK GRAFFITI is a black die cut ‘distressed leather’ hardcover book with an embossed, spot varnished 3D eye plaque, debossed gold foil stamped lettering, and a gold gilded edge, printed on 115gsm matte art paper. A beauty for anyone’s coffee table or collection and a work of art, inside and out.
“This book is not typical in its layout or content,” Mothersbaugh says. “Once you get into the imagery, it is not strictly linear, at all…it is meant to be shuffled through, working your way back ‘n’ forth as elements catch your eye. Feel free to mark up the pages, and/or tear out and post a page above the entranceway to your home as a protective talisman, or on the bumper of your car! Three visionaries I have respected through the years graciously agreed to write forwards, each illuminating in its own way. A handy placemark ribbon is included to assist you in returning to where you left off last time you were there.”
Pre-orders of the book are available here.
Mark Mothersbaugh is one of this era’s most unique and prolific conceptual artists and composers. Deeply aware of the ability of precise, multi-faceted artistic expression to deliver vital social commentary, he has perpetually challenged and redefined musical and visual boundaries. Mothersbaugh co-founded the influential rock group DEVO and parlayed his avant-garde musical background into a leading role in scoring for filmed and animated entertainment, interactive media, and commercials.
Mark has scored 150 films, television shows, video games, and hundreds of commercials through his multimedia company, Mutato Muzika. He has had 165 visual and audio art shows, including his retrospective traveling museum exhibition, Myopia.
He has received a doctorate in Humane Letters at Kent State University, his alma mater.
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