*RECAP* Alex Pardees' “Vertigo: A Decade of Hunting Nightmares” @ Corey Helford 1/8/2011

Heading up to LA for the evening I really had no idea what to expect from Alex Pardee's solo show titled “Vertigo: A Decade of Hunting Nightmares” which was hosted by Corey Helford Gallery. I was familiar with Pardee's work, but had never witnessed it in a gallery setting... needless to say I was totally and completely blown away. From the first moment when walking into the door you were greeted with an enormous 10" tall taxidermy "MolarBear" that was created by Alex with the help of artist Jay222, and what a center piece it was. Surrounding the rest of the gallery space were the fantastic/surreal paintings that Alex painstakingly created showcasing the nightmares of Verti Parker, the famous nightmare hunter.

The event was filled not only with art, but notables such as Buff Monster, Tara McPherson, Seth Green, Gary Baseman, Toy Break, Shane Jessup, and Mike Mitchell all to support and view Alex's work. This show was the total and complete package, Alex did an outstanding job setting the scene with not only the paintings but elaborate stories to go along with each painting, as well as props from Verti's arsenal including the actual music box he used to exorcise nightmares, and a kickstand he used to stabilize himself. The stories, props and paintings were super intense which made for an amazing experience. Alex really pushed the boundaries of this show making this body of work, in my opinion, his most impressive to date. Please enjoy the pictures, and hit the jump for a full slide show, but don't just rely on visuals... if you have the chance to go and see this stuff in person... you should GO NOW as it will only be on display until January 26, 2011.