One of the Southland’s most Devo-ted fans

Mark Mothersbaugh, the founding member and composer behind the new-wave band Devo, hasn’t entirely retired his stair-stepped hat. The band still plays, including a July concert in New York’s Central Park.

But Mothersbaugh also has been an award-winning film and TV composer for 25 years. Among the many movies he’s scored are “The Royal Tennenbaums,” “Thirteen” and “Envy.” He’ll receive a lifetime achievement award from BMI next week.

When not writing music or creating his own visual art (his work is included in “L.A. Fly-by,” a show opening today at the Los Angeles Center for Digital Art), Mothersbaugh enjoys the Sunset Strip neighborhood near his studio, Mutato Muzika.

Feed me

My favorite Japanese restaurant is Matsuhisa on La Cienega. The chef, named Nobu, started out as a sushi chef in Peru. While he was there, he picked up elements of Peruvian cooking and began blending them with the Japanese food he was working with. He makes excellent sashimi, which he features at his chain of restaurants worldwide. Another place I frequent is Orso. I like to go there during the off-hours, around 3 in the afternoon, because it’s quiet, I can read the paper and enjoy the “all-white” endive salad and fresh fish entrees they serve there.

Jurassic art

I frequent many art galleries because at least 25 to 40 times a year, my art will end up on display. I specialize in manipulated photography, so naturally I’m interested in photography techniques like using mirrors for reshooting or splitting and reversing images in photos.

One of my favorite museums is the Museum of Jurassic Technology on Venice Boulevard in Culver City. My favorite exhibits are the ones that discuss or reveal the lives and characteristics of the brain-eating apes.

Outside influences

There are two things that get me wanting to walk around outside: my wife and my three dogs. Emily is a cocker spaniel we rescued, and then we also have two pugs, Fin and Fibi. My wife likes to dress the animals up. In fact, Fin has his own leather jacket, and when he’s got it on we refer to him as “Fin of Tomland.”

Our studio is in a big mirrored building on Sunset Boulevard, so watching the people outside pass by our windows can also be very entertaining. Because we can see out but they can’t see in, the people on the street are always combing their hair, picking their teeth or squeezing their pimples, all for our amusement.

I love L.A.

L.A. has a worldwide reputation as being a tough place to live, but L.A. is one of the most exciting cities on the planet. Our city has endless potential and a positive vibe mainly because of the diverse, creative individuals and ethnic groups which call L.A. home. You can do and find anything here.

L.A. is also a great muse for me. I wrote a couple of albums called “Musik for Insomniaks” that were inspired by restaurants around town, Trader Vic’s in Beverly Hills, Billingsley’s in West L.A. and the Matterhorn in the San Fernando Valley.