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'Star Trek' goes bold at art show (pictures)

Some 80 artists celebrate one of the greatest sci-fi sagas of all time with an eclectic exhibit in L.A. Peep inside for some of their tantalizing "Trek" interpretations.

Christopher MacManus
Crave contributor Christopher MacManus regularly spends his time exploring the latest in science, gaming, and geek culture -- aiming to provide a fun and informative look at some of the most marvelous subjects from around the world.
Christopher MacManus
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1 of 15 Kevin Sukho Lee

Neon Spock

From mid-February to early March, a small art gallery called Q Pop in L.A.'s Little Tokyo district hosted a "Star Trek" art exposition featuring sci-fi creations from more than 80 artists. The show, titled Beam Me Up, offered a unique and often amusing take on famous characters and scenes from all things "Trek," with works ranging from an imaginary play date between a young Spock and Data to a larger-than-life Picard playing a flute on top of the Enterprise.

Aside from an out-of-this world collection of art, the gallery hosted the band Tune in Tokyo (playing "Trek" music) and served Romulan Ale as well as other refreshments. Want to feel like you were there? Check out the remaining "Trek" art still for sale at the Q Pop store.

Artist Kevin Sukho Lee created "Neon Spock" using fluorescent acrylic on an illustration board, which would undoubtedly look trippy when exposed to a black light.

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2 of 15 Jorsh Pena

Original Enterprise

Artist Jorsh Pena's "Original Enterprise" pays homage to the classic "Star Trek" TV series that started it all. The art deco poster design of yesteryear looks fantastic.
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3 of 15 Drake Brodahl

Go Boldly

Brilliant colors serve as the backdrop in Drake Brodahl's "Go Boldly." Brodahl chose gouache paint for the composition.
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4 of 15 Katelyn Gannon

Poker Night

Katelyn Gannon's digitally created "Poker Night" shows an amusing scene in which Scotty loses a major hand to Uhura -- and must give up his precious scotch. Spock doesn't seem amused.
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5 of 15 Parker Jacobs

Bonnie Wee Sweaty Scooty

In the original "Star Trek," Scotty often seemed to come off as the biggest worrywart on the Enterprise. Artist Parker Jacobs' "Bonnie Wee Sweaty Scooty" -- composed with ink and acrylic art -- perfectly captures his mood.
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6 of 15 Santino Lascano

Shore Leave

After a long journey exploring the cosmos, sometimes the creature comforts of home can really take a load off. In Santino Lascano's digitally created "Shore Leave," a docked Enterprise sits idle near a futuristic skyline while an explosion of lush red color coats the horizon.
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7 of 15 Yukinao Takashima

Kirk

Yukinao Takashima's "Kirk," created with acrylic paint, shows the Captain confidently taking a swing at a multi-tentacle alien.
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8 of 15 Bryan Newton

Space Is The Place

"Space Is The Place," by Bryan Newton, features Worf (from "Star Trek: The Next Generation") proudly standing with a Starfleet flag while a number of ships from the various TV series shoot up into the stars. Newton created this piece digitally.
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9 of 15 Drone

Spock: The Final Front Ear

Artist Drone created "Spock: The Final Front Ear" with acrylic paint. This could be the most beautiful ear in the universe.
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10 of 15 Kassandra Heller

The Voyages of the Starship Enterprise

"Trek" alum reunite in the beautiful "The Voyages of the Starship Enterprise" by Kassandra Heller. Can you spot all of the smaller references to the various shows in the sci-fi series?
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11 of 15 Louie Del Carmen

Expendable

Louie De Carmen's "Expendable" digital cartoon strip plays off the destined-for-death red shirt character frequently seen in the "Trek" series.
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12 of 15 Lissa Treiman

Inner Light

"Inner Light" by Lissa Treiman makes the Enterprise a music machine as a giant Picard (or perhaps his spirit) plays some swell tunes in space. Groovy.
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13 of 15 Frank Macchia

Playdate 41087.2

In "Playdate 41087.2" by Frank Macchia, brainiacs Spock and Data innocently work together on a model of the Enterprise. How cute.
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14 of 15 Layron De Jarnette

Uhura

The colored pencil and acrylic paint really stand out in Layron De Jarnette's "Uhura."
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15 of 15 Joey Chou

This Side of the Paradise

"This Side of the Paradise" by Joey Chou brings back memories of an original "Star Trek" episode with a similar name. In a classic scene, Spock falls under a love spell with a humanoid named Leila as her home planet contains flowers with mood-altering spores. Chou painted this piece with acrylic paint on watercolor paper.

Want more of the art show? Check out this great video shot during opening night at the Beam Me Up gallery:

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