MOTHERSBAUGH TALKS

Mark Mothersbaugh shares some of his early electronic instruments and talks about synths, process, and art.

Cool Hunting Video: Mark Mothersbaugh's Synth Collection from Cool Hunting on Vimeo.

DEVO HOLIDAYS!

Happy Holidays from Jason at Art Pioneers! Christmas starts to look a bit strange when you're away from the holiday rush, so I made these cards to celebrate the season with a healthy balance of vintage charm and de-evolotion commentary. Share and enjoy!

DEVO FILM AT NOISE POP SF

The Noise Pop Festival in San Francisco has just announced an exciting lineup of movies that include Hardcore Devo Live, a new concert/documentary film about the band's early work. Band founder/songwriter Gerald Casale will at the event for Q&A. Screening is 7PM on Feb 20th at the Roxie Theater. Additional screenings in LA and Minneapolis. Press release: "DEVO was among the most thought-provoking bands to emerge in the aftermath of punk, but before hits like “Whip It,” DEVO worked in the basements and garages of Akron, Ohio, to make raw, unfiltered music that the group called “Hardcore DEVO.” In the summer of 2014, DEVO did 10 shows performing these seminal pre-fame songs, created between 1974 and 1977 and rarely played since then. Shot at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California, this exciting concert film captures these groundbreaking artists performing the songs that started it all, interwoven with interviews revealing the history of the band." A number of interesting movies join Devo on the bill, including Stop Making Sense, Metropolis (with live score), Spike Jonze skate films, and The 78 Project. Noise Pop features some incredible artists this year. See site for details. Watch a clip of Hardcore Devo Live on Vimeo here. Devo website here.

HARDCORE DEVO LIVE

A new film of Devo performing their early material will be screened at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood on January 17th, followed by a discussion with the director, co-producer, and Devo members Mark Mothersbaugh, Gerald Casale, and Bob Mothersbaugh! The movie and soundtrack will see a wide release on Blu-ray/DVD and CD/LP on February 10th. Press release: "DEVO was among the most thought-provoking bands to emerge in the aftermath of punk, but before hits like "Whip It," DEVO worked in the basements and garages of Akron, Ohio, to make raw, unfiltered music that the group called "Hardcore DEVO." In the summer of 2014, DEVO did 10 shows performing these seminal pre-fame songs, created between 1974 and 1977 and rarely played since then. Shot at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California, this exciting concert film captures these groundbreaking artists performing the songs that started it all, interwoven with interviews revealing the history of the band." Ticket info here. Blu-ray on Amazon here. Images: Mothersbaugh and Casale in their early hardcore performance-art glory; Blu-ray cover design.

DEVO THANKSGIVING

Welcome to Art Pioneers! As a writer/artist, I'm often inspired by the work of innovators like Laurie Anderson, David Bowie, David Byrne, Starn Twins, and many other creators from the visual and performing arts. Art Pioneers will spotlight old and new projects each day, and will feature original art and interviews as I can fit them into my schedule. Below: I created these DEVO-inspired cards for Thanksgiving, which feature vintage card designs and the band's famous energy domes. DEVO has always used their unique cartoony aesthetics to expose the absurdities, cruelty  and hypocrisy in society. Having an outsider view myself to many holiday traditions at this point, as well as being a pescetarian, I couldn't help twist this traditional iconography. Special thanks to the more than 100 DEVO pals and fans of Mark Mothersbaugh's artwork on Facebook for embracing and sharing these images. Enjoy and come back soon!