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And That's How Democracy Works. © Mark Mothersbaugh

Mark Mothersbaugh, frontman from influential 70s and 80s new wave band Devo, is opening the first major UK exhibition of his art in Norwich.

The exhibition, running from May 8 to June 28 2006 at Norwich Arts Centre, features a selection from his Postcard Diaries collection and his Beautiful Mutants work.

Mothersbaugh began illustrating on postcards to send to his friends while on early tours with Devo and has continued the habit ever since, creating up to 25 images a day. Beautiful Mutants showcases his photographic symmetrical creations and ‘corrected’ imagery.

Girl With Pearls. © Mark Mothersbaugh

Mothersbaugh was discovered to be extremely near-sighted as a child and legally blind. His correctional glasses gave him a new view of the world and he started creating art in the late 1960s, before going on to form Devo while at art school.

Devo released their debut album, Q:Are We Not Men? A:We Are Devo! in 1978 and became stalwarts of the alternative music scene, recording nearly 20 albums over the next 20 years.

He has combined his musical and artistic interests throughout his career and while Devo is still active, Mothersbaugh is now better known for his artistic projects and his work on television and film scores.

Super-Bub In A Blue-Green World. © Mark Mothersbaugh

The exhibition launches with a week of related events and a question and answer session with Mothersbaugh himself. It will include the screening of an especially commissioned film following Mothersbaugh at his Los Angeles studios and music from Devo-inspired bands Fun!Yeah, Alto45 and UK electronic music pioneers Globo.