Idiot Box: Artworks inspired by old TV shows

Earlier in 2009 (during April 2nd to April 23rd to be precise) Los Angeles-based art gallery Gallery 1988 hosted the Idiot Box Art Show. 100 artists contributed work inspired from various old (predominantly 80's-early 90's) TV shows that have become ingrained in the minds of many who grew up in that era, or were exposed to such shows later on in perpetual rerun hell.
There were some really cool artworks included in the exhibition.

Here is a link to where you can see a whole bunch of them. They range from the cute to the absurd to the sinister.

Unfortunately it appears a fairly substantial chunk of these pieces are no longer available to view on the site I just linked you. But there are still plenty of gems in there. The names of the pieces and the artists who created them are still listed under the pictures that are no longer there, so a bit of copy/pasting into google should sort you out if you're absolutely dying to see what a particular missing artwork looks like.
Vortex fave Jim Mahfood was one of the contributing artists. His piece isn't included in that link, but you can see it here.

I admit I don't watch all that much TV, and some of the shows referenced I'm not at all familiar with. But that's fine, I still enjoy the art as it is.
I find it interesting to see how a pop-culture force such as a successful television show inspires people who express themselves in other mediums such as pictorial images and sculpture. Even though the shows have finished their run they continue to live on in the hearts and minds of many. Sometimes this a good thing, sometimes not (I hate you Urkel).
However, I find it even more interesting how certain artists in this collective have filtered these shows through their own twisted psyches to end up with unique creative product which at times can be amusing, captivating, and in some instances... rather disturbing.

But also very entertaining. So go check it out won't you pleeeeease?



Chloé

Pictures used in this post:
"The Family" © Anthony Clarkson.
"We can Has A.L.F.?" © Casey Weldon.