When you travel to different countries you visit their landmark galleries and their small ones. Whist in LA in 2010 I stumbled across a small gallery called Gallery 1988 where they were having a group show dedicated only to HE -MAN. Not a group show for the benefit of He-Man but a group exhibition of artworks based on the He-Man TV series. He-Man is however an avid supported of the arts.

It was really refreshing to see. I presumed all artists were fans of the show and they were unashamedly painting, designing or sculpting something they love to love. A day earlier whilst in California I saw Jeff Koons’ “Michael Jackson and Bubbles”(1988) sculpture which is a high-art version of the same thing, a celebration of pop culture.

I was reminded of the He-Man show after I came across a Steve Martin group exhibition that was also held in Gallery 1988. The artworks at Gallery 1988 are by legitimate artists and the enthusiasm the artists have for their subjects in turn creates a really joyful gallery going experience.

A friend of mine is a Law and Order fan and he was wearing a Law and Order T-Shirt which was designed by a fellow Law and Order fan Brandon Bird who has created really funny artworks that make me LOL! His portrait of Christopher Walken building Optimus Prime is the kind of image that makes any grown man involuntarily smile like he just saw Christopher Walken building Optimus Prime. He paints what he loves and it is fulfilling for him and it’s artists like Bird and those that exhibit in Gallery 1988 that turn Fan Art in to Fine Art.

Check out Gallery 1988’s website here and Brandon Bird’s website here.