While typical movie-goers bring snacks to the show, those in line outside of the Michigan Theater this past Wednesday toted construction hats. Fans of the new wave electronica band DEVO, also known as “spuds,” amassed outside the theater doors for the premiere of “50 Years of De-Evolution, the Restored Films of DEVO (1976-1984).”
DEVO, the band credited with hits like “Whip It” and “Uncontrollable Urge,” became a staple of Midwest punk pop when they earned recognition from the likes of David Bowie and Iggy Pop, but for those more familiar with the group, the significance of DEVO was never just the music. The band was formed at Kent State University in 1970 after the Ohio National Guard killed four and injured nine unarmed students protesting the Vietnam War. The American new-wave pop group began making films and music with the intention of critiquing this wave of government repression and dehumanization. In “50 Years of De-Evolution,” viewers are treated to a playlist of brand new and updated footage of the band, restored by film archivist Peter Conheim and Cinema Preservation Alliance, ensuring that DEVO’s valuable messages will continue to impact generations to come.
The screening of the film opened with Conheim speaking on the importance of DEVO, as well as the restoration of archival footage. Film stock is susceptible to decay over time and preservation protects films from disappearing forever. With “50 years of De-Evolution,” Conheim went to great lengths to preserve widely unseen footage of the bands’ early years. He stressed the importance of keeping the film as close to the original as possible, as parts can be lost with a transfer from analog to digital. This is often why movie-buffs flock to theaters when a 16mm or 30mm version of a film is showing — because it’s usually more representative of the artist’s initial vision than digital copies. Films are reflections of culture and experience, so they’re valuable historical artifacts that need to be preserved in their original form for future generations. Preserving historic footage of DEVO was Conheim’s primary goal, and he concluded his speech with a plea for more funding for film preservation, as there is a growing number of films that need to be conserved. He left the stage after advising audiences to keep those analog videos, because there’s no permanent digital format that replicates the artist’s work.
“50 Years of De-Evolution” displays a curated collection of the band’s performances and music-centered films highlighting their performance art as a method of resistance to capitalism and the repression of information. They used exaggerated depictions of anti-art executives and American propaganda to critique existing systems that favor profit over people, which Conheim then stitched together to make that message even more crystal clear. The videos use lots of colors and costumes, painted backgrounds and absurd dance moves in order to highlight the importance of self-expression in a culture of conformity. The freedom of expression is embedded in every aspect of the videos, allowing rudimentary transitions that remind viewers of a middle school PowerPoint to combine witty skits and carefully crafted music performances. Each of the dozen-or-so videos speaks to the audience as a peer rather than pandering to viewers solely as consumers. The band makes clear that the purpose of their art is not monetary success but the ability to speak to an audience. At times, it might seem difficult to dissect the meaning of each video, but the charm is that the band trusts its audience enough to understand each critique.
DEVO’s message holds increasing relevance today and the presentation of this film at the Ann Arbor Film Festival only cements it. With student protests around the country, including those at the University of Michigan, being suppressed just as protests to the Vietnam War were during DEVO’s creation, the band’s pro-information and anti-repression messages are as relevant as ever. Conheim’s efforts to bring these films back to audiences in a form as close to the original as possible emphasize the importance of elevating art as a means of understanding history through a lens of empathy and human emotion. An establishment is only as strong as its ability to withstand critique, and when valid critiques are suppressed through the decomposition of art and the erasure of history, corrupt establishments are able to thrive in their manipulation of the truth. Using fear and hate, these regimes then divide the public in hopes of holding on to power they never deserved in the first place. The preservation of film and art like the music-centered “50 Years of De-Evolution” is evidence of how art stands in the way of anti-intellectualist rhetoric that favors the state above individual thought. “50 Years of De-Evolution, the Restored Films of DEVO (1976-1984)” could not have come to fruition at a more valuable time, allowing audiences today to engage with art that critiques systems that still impact us. Though the film is not immune to physical decomposition, DEVO’s message to question the world around you and explore art as a means to remember with empathy will never decay.
Daily Arts Writer Gaby Cummings can be reached at gabyc@umich.edu.
