Mark Wynne’s 15-Year Visual Poetry Project ‘The Journals of fred ott’ Explores Pornography and the Male Gaze
Mark Wynne, a designer and author, is close to finishing 'The Journals of fred ott,' an avant-garde collection of visual poetry that he started in the early 2000s. This work delves into the effects of hardcore pornography on young males and examines the historical connections between technology and porn. The character 'fred ott' draws inspiration from Fred Ott, a technician for Thomas Edison and the star of the first film, 'Fred Ott's Sneeze' (1894). Wynne's creation merges archival visuals with fragmented text, influenced by visual poets and Francis Bacon's 1953 painting, 'The End of the Line.' After 15 years, he intends to self-publish premium editions for independent booksellers, likening Edison to Elon Musk.
Key facts
- Mark Wynne is a writer and graphic designer who worked on Official PlayStation Magazine, EDGE, and Computer Arts.
- The Journals of fred ott is a visual poetry collection started in the early 2000s.
- The real Fred Ott was Thomas Edison's technician and subject of the first film, Fred Ott's Sneeze (1894).
- The book explores the link between technology and pornography, and the male gaze.
- Influences include Dom Sylvester Houédard, Bob Cobbing, László Moholy-Nagy, Jindřich Štyrský, Richard Hamilton, and Francis Bacon.
- Wynne designed Matthew Seiji Burns's novel Process (2026), which shares themes with fred ott.
- Endorsements from Polly Barton and Justine Kurland.
- Wynne plans to self-publish a small run of high-quality editions.
- The book draws parallels between Thomas Edison and Elon Musk.
- The project took 15 years to complete.
Entities
Artists
- Mark Wynne
- Matthew Seiji Burns
- Manfredi Caracciolo
- Dom Sylvester Houédard
- Bob Cobbing
- László Moholy-Nagy
- Jindřich Štyrský
- Richard Hamilton
- Francis Bacon
- Marcel Duchamp
- Polly Barton
- Justine Kurland
- Thomas Edison
- Fred Ott
- Elon Musk
- Andrew Tate
- Paul Schrader
- Saint Thomas Aquinas
Institutions
- Official PlayStation Magazine
- EDGE
- Computer Arts
- Golden Joysticks
- Brand Impact Awards
- paper view
- Steel Incisors
- Tune & Fairweather
- Fitzcarraldo Editions
- Mack Books
- PRINT Magazine
Locations
- United Kingdom
- New York City
- Twenty-Third Street, New York City