This past winter was an eventful time for OK Go, between the release of third album Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky, disputes with EMI over its YouTube videos and an eventual split with the label and the creation of Paradacute Records. But even after all the dust settled, the music is still stuck in our heads—because OK Go definitely still has it. Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky brings us little nuggets of unbridled optimism set to catchy pop beats with Damian Kulash’s funky falsetto soaring overhead—and, in typical OK Go fashion, some of the most awesome videos ever made. OK Go is taking time between dates on its worldwide tour supporting the LP in order to guest edit magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our Q&A with Kulash.
Kulash: I dislike the term “outsider art,” because it pretentiously reserves art for careerists. My mother plays violin for fun, but that doesn’t make her an outsider musician, it makes her a smart one: She gets to enjoy music and doesn’t have to wring a paycheck out of the crappiest industry on the planet. But regardless of what it’s called, I’m enamored of art made by people without career ambitions, people who are just inspired or driven or compulsive or in need of some escape or outlet or psychological crutch. I’m particularly smitten with Eugene Andolsek, a railroad stenographer who, for 50 years, spent his nights drawing incredibly intricate, wildly colorful patterns on graph paper. But he never showed the drawings to anyone. The treasure trove of them was discovered by a caregiver attending to him in his 80s. And, of course, there are the Watts Towers, the surreal, 99-foot spires in South Central L.A that were hand built by Italian immigrant Simon Rodia over 33 years, using no rivets or welding tools. One day in the 1955, he handed the deed to his next-door neighbor and moved out of Los Angeles. Of his masterpiece, he said, “I had in mind to do something big, and I did it.”
Video after the jump.
14 replies on “From The Desk Of OK Go’s Damian Kulash: Art Made By People Who Don’t Intend To Sell It”
Wow! I like 347 and 311C best, I think. I also like how 352 resembles a prism; looking at it is a bit like leaning over a balcony and watching bits of shattered stained glass windows fall through space.
Escapism, outlet, crutch, psycholobabble…..it’s passion. I’m personally enamored by passion. I think compulsions can be great, it’s more from the soul in my own personal opinion. He wanted to do something and didn’t really give a shit nor have ulterior motive in doing so other then for the true love and excitement in what he was creating. I think compulsive behaviors help fill internal anxiety, fill a void, whatever…. but usually it’s a rush thing. A personal high.
I get a rush when I’m being compulsive, being creative…. it’s a natural high – you can’t beat it. Deeply compulsive people are feeding their own high. Learning something new, feeling passion for something, feeling alive. It’s heart.
I’m enamored when I see or feel something that actually has real deep passion to it and/or someone/something that seems deeper then just surface and/or I feel deeper passion or meaning for something. It gives me more of an alive feeling inside instead, a rush, whatever, and honestly despite the negative effects of extreme compulsiveness at times, I wouldn’t trade it.
Some people look at things and think crazy/insane/whacko/whatever, others look at the same thing as a deeper passion and or meaning or at least try to find the deeper meaning. If no one else ever understands you, then who gives a shit really. If you find deeper meaning in your soul with whatever creative outlet then it makes your life more complete.
I personally look deeper into the meaning of just about everything so it can be a bitch sometimes but also it’s depth, soul, character and some things aren’t meant to be shared but you internalize things more when your compulsive. I think you feel emotions deeper, you have a wider emotional spectrum, pains are deeper, harsher. Some people are able to turn off their emotions, I personally would rather feel deeper emotions then be emotionally null and void. That’s what makes you alive.
It just depends on how you look at it I guess.
I don’t personally like surface so much myself.
Look I made lovely little paragraphs. I can write better then a 1st grader when i want to, but it’s a secret.
wow i need fuckin’ help …re-reading my OCD ramblings is like WTF?
next time i catch OCD someone needs to cut my cable wire.
Where did you get that one from if his work hasn’t been showcased.
Those are absolutely beautiful and intricate detail stunning looking at the work now, but I’m a little more then confused.
How did you post that on 6/21 if his work hasn’t been showcased till recently? you know i’m ocd so i pay attention to everything
http://www.dinpattern.com/2010/06/23/the-patterns-of-eugene-andolsek/
i thought i was OCD that’s friggen insane
i like the one on the right here: http://www.americanprimitive.com/index.cfm?section=artist_works&artist=Eugene%20Andolsek&hasBiography=1#
and this one on the left the best:
http://www.americanprimitive.com/index.cfm?section=artist_works&artist=Eugene%20Andolsek&hasBiography=1#
I can’t believe he made those and didn’t show anyone they are insanely pretty can you imagine them sitting unseen for years…damn ..but this site http://www.evaneckard.com/2010/06/a-look-at-eugene-andolseks-patterns/
says that his work wasn’t showcased until recently (as per the 24th.) how did you post that on the 21st? the pic looks like it’s an original based on the photo above and not copied from a site.
sorry I’m gonna bust your chops …did you buy it? It wasn’t supposed to be sold 😉 unless you have the originals which i doubt.
Original pointillism paintings are def the work of OCD people.
Don’t worry Kulash, I jump around a lot…I’ll move on sooner or later don’t file a restraining order just yet. I just liked you because I saw certain things in ya but I OCD’ed but I move faster then the speed of light so I’ll prob forget all about you by next week.
They r awesome.
“Concentrating on the intricacies of each drawing would release him from worries and make his humble surroundings disappear as he withdrew into his self made world of dazzling colors and the space he created on graph paper.”
The best stuff sometimes comes out of misery.
oh my god ive been looking at those andolseks there really are no words
It was just a lot of bull to cover up the fact that they just bought out the power grids and then accidentally blew up a lot of stuff, including people as well as halting major public means of transportation.
Trust these guys, no I don’t. I didn’t in the past and now I really don’t.