Hello you all.
It's Monday night. I just got to LA and am in a swanky little Ramada Inn above a diner called Whispers where it's either legal to still smoke inside, or the multiple-personalitied bowlers that took over the place just don't give a shit. Either way, it's pretty rad. For the next 24 hours I will be setting up and installing my largest, most focused solo art show that I have ever created.





The show is called "Hiding From The Normals" and it takes place at GALLERY 1988 in LA (on Melrose & La Brea). (Its all ages, free of charge;)

I haven't said much about it, and unfortunately, i still don't WANT to say much about it, because I really really want you to be able to get a new experience if you are able to go check it out when it opens this Tuesday, October 6 @ 7pm.

However, with so much cool stuff going on in LA constantly, I would like to let you in on a little info and background surrounding the show, because it's a little different than my other shows, and there's A LOT to it.

Here's a few, short secrets that will hopefully get you excited about coming by to check out the show:

1. The entire show is based off of the beliefs of a man who recently went missing in real life. The man was a supposed crackpot and believes that there is another world living under ours filled with mutants. It is not known if this man is still alive or not.

2. In addition to creating paintings inspired by this missing man's beliefs, I have managed to get my hands on some actual evidence supporting the existence of this world. The evidence and some of his notes & sketches will be showcased alongside of the artwork.





3. I have recently become obsessed with this world that I jumped into, and I really hope that this showcase generates some interest in this universe called "The Marrow" so that this whole underworld can be expanded into something larger, like a film or an animated feature (hint, hint). So if you can't make it out to the show, but know anyone in the area, send them down!!

4. There will be BOTH a super limited PRINT release, as well as a limited CATALOG/BOOK release, called "Digging Up The Marrow: Excerpts from the Journals of William Dekker" Prints are signed and limited to 50. Books signed and limited to 200.

3. Because of the theme/inspiration and the time of the year, i am taking full advantage of October, which means that I am dressing up! And we are encouraging people to dress up in awesome costumes, both so I don't feel super stupid and outcast, AND because there is a cool prize for THE BEST COSTUME (judged by me:). I think it would be cool to have 2 winners, a BEST GIRL & A BEST GUY, so let's do that. Come dressed up!!!!!

4. In conjunction with MY show, at G1988, right next store, at the same time, the insanely awesome writer/director Mike Dougherty is hosting his DVD release costume party for his new anthology horror film, "Trick R Treat" which is rad.i.cal. Also, as a little extra fun thing, I teamed up with Mike this week and drew up some Trick R Treat art that we are releasing at my show as a Limited shirt! (I think there's less than a hundred of them available)

5. This show is going to be my LAST solo show for over a year. I will be participating in a few group shows, but 2010 is going to be full of some different kind of adventures:) Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, here are a few glimpses of the work from the show. But trust me, you need to come see it in person. Myself, Dave Correia, Paul Bustamante, Damon Alcorn, and Jensen & The Gallery 1988 crew have worked really hard to put together a show that pictures just won't do justice to. But nonetheless, I will take a ton of photos and try to share them with ya soon! Word.














 

This stuff is beautiful! As an aspiring writer and aspiring folklorist, I suddenly feel as though there isn't enough that I could do to equal what you have generated by simply the idea of this show. It is a simple shame that I cannot head out to LA; however, the sources in the miniature book you will presenting would be a great deal valuable to my studies (if properly credited, of course with you as the editor of this book), as it hits the cross-section of creative writing and folklore so perfectly, with the accreditation of arts of the visual medium, of course, that it is sure to stand as a landmark among time.

One of the easiest ways to be heard is to have a paper written about you. Oddly enough, another easy way to be heard is to be the person who writes the paper. So, with your permission, may I attempt at producing a short essay of your work in this gallery, and how it pertains to the evolution of modern folklore? To be upfront and honest with you about the project, it will most likely be an example of how folklore is seen and how it is continuing to evolve in the modern era, along with how the people who either create or record this new folklore are inspired to do so, how the purpose of this folklore differentiates from the views of the public and the views of (what I am going to attempt to entitle) that folklore's "first poet."

If you choose to become a part of my study, you can email me privately and we can set up an interview from there. I may be able to even apply for a grant based on this research to pay you for your time and effort. I only wish I had been following this story earlier.

Thank you for your time,

James C. Bakken
Student at the University of Southern Indiana

I've always been a fan of just about everything on this site, but I just now decided to join the forum.

I know a couple guys in the L.A. area that love horror movies and alternative art, I'm definitely sending them your way. I'll make them take pictures of all the crazy costumes that are going to show up.

Its very interesting to know how much you can learn about someone, just from this.

It's hilarious how the fans of Alex are actually intelligent...

While the Bleedman fans are... fucking retarded.

That's the nicest way I can put. You know the rest.

But indeed. It is quite interesting how Alex's fans display so much intelligence.

Tis mind boggling. I think I now respect the man just for that.

I've always liked his art. And he's quite popular outside the internet society as well. A girl was talking about the Urkel video on youtube.

It's not hard to see why Alex gets all, if not the majority, of the inteligent of people as fans. I mean, he draws real bloody art, not the typical anime bullshit. With anime you get angst 12 year old that can't appreciate people such as Dali or Rembrant ,for example, and would rather watch anime bullshit 'cause it's kewl.


And yes, I still like Bleed's PPGD. I know the partial irony involved.

Alex Pardee,
I am doing a project in art that states i must do a report on one of my favorite artists, and your style is so unique and not many people in my school know about your work. I wanted to share with then your gruesomely imaginative artwork and get a little interview from you since i couldn't get to you through the email link on snafu. Please contact me so that i can interview you with some genral questions and show my school(and my skeptical art teacher) just how great you are.
beck

Don't hold your breath bub. One guy already asked before you, not to mention that he only gets online to post updates.

Hey there, just hoping on to say great show. Wanted to congrats ya personally while I was there, but that massive crowd that was constantly surrounding you kept me away. So I'll just say it here, grats on a great show man.

Love it Alex! One of these days I might have to come scope one of your galleries. It is a long ass drive from Utah to get to a gallery though