Walking up to the building for The Chris Carter Collection was kind of like an episode of The X-Files. It was in a dingier area of Los Angeles, but not to the point where you didn’t feel safe. It felt like something where Mulder and Scully would find some sort of mythological beast, maybe even a Los Angeles folk legend. However, once you got inside the building at 609 South Anderson in Los Angeles, the vibes changed immediately.

The urban sprawl of the facade turned into white hues, calming music, and of course, the art of Chris Carter. He’s known for The X-Files, of course; but this man, who inspired millions to think outside the box and beyond the surface has some art that can only be seen to be believed. The exhibition runs from February 24th to March 10th (by appointment only) on Saturdays from 1-5PM or by appointment; is filled with varying degrees of strange, avant-garde, science fiction, surfboards, cocktails, and more. The show spans three decades of mixed media panels, surfboards, and even some special X-Files memorabilia.

Strangely, it really feels like this goes through his entire life as a creator. There are points where it feels like the art is from a younger, less world-weary version of Chris, and then you get pieces that are built around letters he’s received from a prospective screenwriter about another X-Files movie. It’s not just painted art, though. There are photography exhibitions, and even some dinner plates scrawled with curse words (that are fortunately for sale for your next dinner party).

In addition to all the art on the walls, Chris Carter was in attendance for the opening day of the exhibit. He did a quick interview giving the audience a bit about his process and what’s coming next. He did have some great advice for prospective TV writers or just creatives in general. If you don’t have anything personal in the art, it’s not going to work. All of his pieces at the exhibit have a piece of him; but he’s not saying what inspired them. He made it a point not to tell anyone about what inspired the works or what they mean. That’s up to us to decipher, which really should be the case with any art. If you can’t look at a canvas of pictures with Hello Kitty on them that says ‘My Crowning Achievement’ and guess what it means, you’re not thinking hard enough.

As for the X-Files related art, there is an entire room devoted to the show that made Chris Carter a household name. There are two cases of casting notes, scripts, magazine covers, and even a stuffed rabbit named William and instructions on how to take care of him. The original art and X-Files overlaps with several pieces titled “UFO” from Chris. This section was a true highlight for this X-Files fan; but the entire exhibit was a lover letter to Chris and his art.

If you’re in the Los Angeles area and are an X-Files fan; or just want to see some thought-provoking art, you need to check out the Chris Carter Collection.

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