HOLLYWOOD. Late at night, when the signals in your brain are starting to fire off in strange directions, you might find yourself searching for comfort, or meaning, or something greater than where you are by turning on your television. Amplify those signals and that search with energy drinks and alcohol, and you've got the "Idiot Box" exhibit at Gallery 1988.

Our first stop at this Melrose gallery is the liquor counter, naturally. Behind it, we find a pretty bartender and a representative from Red Bull. I inquire about the safety of drinking these (the drinks, not their representatives) as often as I do, and apparently the pleasant conversation has made an impression on the bartender, who "helps us out" and pours strong, nearly intolerable drinks.

The powerful potions lead us on, giving us newfound confidence as art critics. The theme for the night is television-inspired art, where the artists showcase their pieces from stellar standards such as The Twilight Zone, the 80's nostalgia of "Alf" or even guilty pleasures like Saved by the Bell. It's a real cornucopia of television's classic characters and totally twisted takes on the shows where they reside.

Hosted by everybody's favorite principal, Mr. Belding (that's Dennis Haskins to you and me) the exhibit boasts titles such as "7th Heaven and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse," which finds the Camden family being ravaged by creatures from another dimension, or "Seinfeldology," which contains 99 Seinfeld references in one painting, including the marble rye, Pez dispenser, Junior Mints, and of course, Today sponges. Both of us Seinfeld aficionados, we still couldn't find all of them.

Influenced by his love of WWF wrestling as a child, Dave Chung's painting "Atomic Sea-Monkey Elbow Drop" depicts everyone's favorite pet, Sea-Monkeys, doing battle in the squared circle. "We used to always wrestle. We would wrestle in my friend's Mom's living room. If we didn't beat the shit out of ourselves, his Mom would. We used to break shit." He also adds, "My Mom wouldn't let me have Sea-Monkeys, though. Just my brother."

Whether it's the drinks or the energy, I'm fascinated by Belding's breakdown of several Saved By The Bell works. His favorite is his headshot, which features miniature versions of his buddies from Bayside crawling all over his mug. "There's also a picture of me that's like God," says Haskins, "Which is a little over the top. But I'm only taking home five. It'll never been seen like that again."

This is the kind of art for people who don't like art. "It's a nice step for people who are checking out art shows for the first time. An easy transition when there are recognizable objects," says Ken Garduno, an artist who contributed works based on The Twilight Zone and Married With Children.

Our systems buzzing with Red Bull and enough alcohol to paralyze (good thing all industries don't operate on the "get them drunk so they'll buy things" mantra), we spill out in to the LA night, the images clicking around in our heads long after we've turned off the set.

THE DETAILS: Gallery 1988
7020 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90038
323.937.7088

Idiot Box runs until April 23, 2009.
http://www.nineteeneightyeight.com/
http://idiotbox88.blogspot.com/

Story by Alex Storch and Ryan Simoneau.