DEVO mainstay Mark Mothersbaugh is taking part in an group exhibition dedicated to “Pure Joy” that starts at the end of the month. Curated by Kii Arens, the show is called “For Goodness Sake,” and it runs from March 25 to April 21 at La La Land Gallery, which is also run by Arens. Among those participating in the exhibition are Peter Blake and Shepard Fairey.
With his knack for faux-inane pop (and also for promotion), Mothersbaugh came up with an ingenious and well-nigh irresistible idea for his contribution to the show: two new songs on a single pressed by Mothersbaugh himself, to be sold during the opening reception on March 25. The song will be played for the group present at the reception, and after that it belongs to the owner—a one-of-a-kind Mothersbaugh single with which the owner can do whatever he or she wishes. There will be no other way to obtain a copy of the single.
Arens’ statement on the exhibition is as follows:
As this new “cuckoo pants” year begins, I would like to invite you to take a well needed mental vacation with this new joy-filled For Goodness Sake group art show. The idea is clear and simple. Each artist is being asked to create a brand new piece that elicits nothing but Pure Joy.
With all that’s been going on around the world lately, this will be a refreshing change of pace and a positive new look for the future.
La La Land Gallery has partnered with Oxfam America for this show to donate to Syrian Refugees Relief.
Dangerous Minds readers might remember an item we did a couple years back, about Musique Pour Supermarché (Music for Supermarkets), a full album by Jean Michel Jarre for which there also exists just a single copy. This happened in 1983. Similar to Mothersbaugh’s single, the idea for the project came out of its relation to an art exhibition.
Jarre auctioned the record off after documenting that he had destroyed the master tapes and plates. A bit like the Mothersbaugh idea, there was also just one public playing of Jarre’s album, although in that instance it was on the radio, and yes, a good many listeners did think to record it.
Keeping with the theme of Arens’ show, the two new songs are titled “For Goodness Sake” and “Pure Joy.” As you can see in this brief video shot by Arens, nobody’s really sure which is the A side and which is the B side.
via Reverberations
Thank you Annie Zaleski!
Previously on Dangerous Minds:
The toughest used vinyl ‘get’ in the world: Jean Michel Jarre’s ‘Music for Supermarkets’
Myopia: New art book by Mark Mothersbaugh of DEVO