Monsters Exhibit a Sexy Appeal at Corey Helford Gallery

Don't be fooled by the whimsical scoops of ice cream adorning the Corey Helford Gallery walls in Buff Monster's exhibit "Beyond the Pink"—this artist's work is for adults only.

"Sex is natural and fun and positive—why do we need to get so crazy about it?" Monster said.

A lot of Monster's art consists of otherworldly creatures, either in shades of pink or bright colors inspired by ice cream. Some of his little monsters even feature tiny breasts on their heads. In all, it is a world that is the byproduct of a vivid imagination, a world where every appliance and fixture in a home has a face and talks to you about your day, where your food holds a conversation with you while you're eating.

Curator Bruce Helford's son first told him about  Monster, citing a tendency of the former street artist to post stickers around the city saying, "Buff Monster says, 'Don't Vandalize.' " Monster began his career by putting up hand silk screened posters across Los Angeles and other locales. Now, his art has evolved into fine paintings, collectible toys and select design projects.

"I love his characters," Helford said. "He might have started out as a street guy, but he's really an artist. He really cares about his paintings. Each one is an evolution of his work.

"I don't know anyone who works harder."

During the recent opening night of the exhibit, Monster was sporting his signature mohawk. Adoring fans surrounded him throughout the evening, some who wanted to thank him for all the work he's done in pop culture, others merely wanting to hear him speak. Eager fans admired the artwork on the walls, which also featured crushed spray cans with monsters painted onto the bodies.

"Beyond The Pink," runs until Sept 22 at the Corey Helford Gallery, 8522 Washington Blvd.