Born in Chicago Illinois, Mark Ohe studied Mass Communication at Loyola University Chicago, and attended The Art Institute of Chicago, and Columbia College Chicago in the mid-1980s, graduating from Loyola in 1983.
His first commercial designs were for the band Naked Raygun, and Antidote Radio in the early 1980s. From 1983 to 1985 he worked at Wax Trax Records creating store and window displays.
He relocated to New York City in 1986 and worked as a freelance graphic designer for various clients including the record labels Homestead, Dutch East India, and Blast First; artists Jim Thirlwell, Karen Finley, Annie Sprinkle, The Hafler Trio; and various New York nightclubs.
In 1987 Mark Ohe took on the role of art director for Lydia Lunch’s, Widowspeak Productions. He then took a staff position under art director Maude Gilman at Arista Records in 1990. That same year he began working with Matador Records founders Chris Lombardi and Gerard Cosloy, designing the company’s logo and working with the label’s bands on music packaging, print ads, and poster designs. In 1992 he took a full-time position at Matador as art director and remained with the company for the next 17 years working with a diverse group of designers including Frank Longo, Brian Kelly and Nick Ace. During that period he continued to work sporadically with freelance clients including the photographers James Smolka, and Micheal McLaughlin, as well as Robyn Hitchcock, Julian Richards, Ecstatic Peace, Steve Kille, Blaine Thurier, Endless Boogie, and book publishers Amadeus Press.
Mark Ohe’s poster designs were included in graphic design surveys at the 44th Annual Exhibition at The Type Directors Club, NYC (1997), and “Mixing Messages” at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, NYC (1996). His album designs have been published in various design magazines and books including, “Supersonic – Visuals for Music,” (2007); idN Magazine, (2005); “Typography 19,” (1997); and “Broken Music, Artists’ Recordworks,” (1989).
His work has also been included in the exhibitions, “Only 2.5 Hrs. From GWB” at Orphic Gallery, Roxbury NY (2015), “Endless Summer” at 7 Dunham Gallery in Brooklyn (2014), “Up Against It” at Munch Gallery NYC (2012), “Occupy The Walls” at AC Institute, NYC (2011), “Music in CMYK” a solo poster show at Blackston, NYC (2010), “___ In a Box” at Canco Lofts, Jersey City (2008), “The Other Side” at The 58 Gallery, Jersey City (2008), “Young Guns” at the Art Directors Club, NYC (1997), and “Extended Play” curated by Ursula Block & Christian Marclay at the Emily Harvey Gallery, NYC (1988).
Ohe’s anti-aliases have included the nom de plumes: Mark O, Marco Pezzati, and Memories from Reno. He currently lives far from the maddening crowd, on the outskirts of Andes New York, with his wife Pia Dehne.
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Mark Ohe 