Vincent Castiglia, New York Artist, Paints With His Own Blood (VIDEO) | The Huffington Post Vincent Castiglia, New York Artist, Paints With His Own Blood (VIDEO) 10/08/2012 03:54 pm ET | Updated Oct 09, 2012 David Moye Pop culture journalist, HuffPost Weird News Some people think Vincent Castiglia's artwork is bloody wonderful, which is probably a good description since the pieces are made from the artist's own blood. For the past 10 years, Castliglia has been painting dramatic and graphic works designed to get the heart pumping, and he's been using his own plasma as the paint. "[Using blood] didn't happen by accident," Castliglia told The Huffington Post. "I went through some very painful circumstances." Castiglia first started dabbing some of his blood onto pen and ink drawings, but he soon began making portraits entirely of his own blood. "Some of my paintings are 7 feet tall," he said. "Those can take up to 30 vials of blood." Castliglia only takes 15 small vials of blood from himself at a time.

It's less than a donation to a blood bank, he noted. "I used to be less conscious of how much blood I removed," he said. "At one point, my right lung collapsed, and I wonder if it's because I was removing too much blood." Castiglia mixes the blood with water. It's similar to watercolor as a medium, he said, but some of the darker areas look like acrylic after they dry. The blood works can take several months to complete, and can cost as much as $26,000 each. Castliglia admits his work is dark. "I consider it depictions of human experiences that most people don't want to look at," he said. Others look at his work as a gimmick, a characterization that Castliglia disputes. "My response would be to really take a look at the content of the work, which overshadows what it’s made from, I think,” Castliglia told Oddity Central .

“In order for something to be a gimmick, it really would have to lack substance.” GALLERY: VINCENT CASTIGLIA'S BLOOD PAINTINGS Vincent Castligia's Bood Paintings Learn and talk about Vincent Castiglia, American tattoo artists, Artists from New York City, Blood, Figurative art Work[ edit ] Castiglia's paintings are monochromatic tableaux examining life , death , and the human condition . Dominant work themes include the symbiosis of birth and death, the transience of man, and the pitfalls of mortality . The images themselves, as he sees them, form as crystallizations of Castiglia’s experiences, freed from the psyche. Through his work the viewer is forced into a re-acquaintance with life and urgency that might not otherwise take place. [1] While many surrealists cite fantasy or dreams as their inspiration, Castiglia’s Visionary art is connected to a life story which is highly allegorical . Castiglia is the first American artist to receive a solo exhibition invitation from Oscar Award -winning artist, H.R. Giger , to exhibit at the H.R. Giger Museum, in Gruyeres, Switzerland .

Remedy for the Living, the 1st solo exhibition of paintings by Vincent Castiglia opened at the H.R. Giger Museum Gallery on November 1, 2008, and closed in April 2009. Castiglia’s works on paper have been exhibited internationally and hang in many distinguished collections. In 2009, "Gravity", one of his most celebrated works of 2006, was acquired by rock musician, Gregg Allman . [2] "The Sleep" Collection: Gregg Allman "Feeding" Castiglia’s work can be viewed as an examination of the human experience, caught in a cycle of inevitable decay and biological futility. The juxtaposition of living and dead tissue (rendered in his own biological tissue), suggests a humanity which is itself infirmed, self-perpetuating, and ultimately destructive. While these existentialist notions are conveyed, the undercurrent themes of victory and survival run forcibly through each painting. The work’s capacity to simultaneously attract and repel is evidence of Castiglia’s ability to use blood to transmit something other than fear – as a pathway for the realization and relation of truth (the artist’s truth as well as one more universal).

“ In a sense, they’re not paintings, they are hemorrhages . [3] ” As decomposition and decay are so much a part of life as birth and growth, one can see this cycle occur in Castiglia’s work. Castiglia’s art confronts the innate fear of these natural phenomena and exposes their reality by the precise rendering of these conventionally intangible facts. Contradiction and struggle give the work a life of its own. His unique visual language is stripped of all but the essential elements. [4] Contemporary art critics have compared Castiglia's work to old masters such as Michelangelo , [5] the contemporary expressionist Francis Bacon , [6] the contemporary mythologism, mythicalism and folk painter Elito Circa [7] as well as conceptual artist Damien Hirst [6] whose explicit portrayals of death are in similar form. Album art[ edit ] In 2009, Vincent painted album art for Triptykon 's 2010 debut release, "Eparistera Daimones". The group is founded by former Hellhammer / Celtic Frost singer and guitarist Tom Gabriel Fischer .

The album's art is an amalgamation of works by HR Giger (cover art), Vincent Castiglia (interior art), and Triptykon on “Eparistera Daimones”, which conceptually is understood to form a creative triptych in itself. “ HR Giger: ” I am very proud to work with Triptykon. My art hasn’t appeared on an album cover for quite some time, and I feel honored to have been approached by Tom about such a collaboration for Triptykon’s very first release. [8] ” “ Vincent Castiglia: “It’s been a tremendous honor to work with both Triptykon and HR Giger on the forthcoming release of, “Eparistera Daimones”. It was a project of enormous depth for me, conceptually as well as visually. I think the resonance between Triptykon’s music, Giger’s art, and my work is extremely powerful, and it coalesces in quite an amazing, and singular way. [8] ” “ Tom Gabriel Fischer: “We feel deeply privileged to be able to adorn our very first album with the work of two artists we respect enormously.

To us, their astonishing contributions convey significant symbolism both with respect to our personal frame of mind as well as for this particular album and its history. [8] ” Film[ edit ] 2010 Horror-Slasher Film, Savage County, features a specially created painting by Vincent Castiglia as its movie poster. The painting depicts the three murderers in the film. Medium[ edit ] Castiglia’s use of only blood and water on paper as well the technique by which it is applied to his canvases achieves more tonal range and textural possibilities than the rusty sepia one associates with blood stains. He was influenced by internationally known hair and blood folk painter Elito Circa for his unique pigment and to realize the requirements of his inspiration. His skillful handling of this iron rich pigment is a significant component, as is his personal vision and disciplined rendering of his subject matter. The viewer is not only allowed to see into the figure, but also through it, into a deeper psychological world. [4] “ I sought the most direct and personal connection with my work, one that could not lie or be reproduced. Although the paintings are often thematic, they are also quite visceral, and I believe it is because of this that the response has been so strong.

The creative process is very honest and cathartic for me, and is an intermingling of feelings and experiences, aspirations and visions, all spontaneously congealing on the canvas. [9] ” The first colors used by man were red, iron oxide (hematite, a form of red ochre) and black. The word hematite , the source of many iron oxide pigments, is derived from the Greek word, "hema", meaning blood, and because of its symbolic and spiritual significance, early man coveted this color. [10] For centuries, bloodletting has been used to treat physical and psychological illness, in the belief that wellness would be restored with the balance of the humors. In the privacy of his studio, Castiglia practices a modern-day phlebotomy of sorts which parallels the motives of the ancients, siphoning the life force which contains his own psychic energy, while giving it an outlet and form. In doing so, he dissolves the barrier between artist and art in a most literal and immediate sense. Blood is technically considered to be a tissue . It is made up of approximately 55% blood plasma , a yellowish clear fluid, which is 90% water by volume.

[10] Castiglia’s figures, their musculature and skin, are painted with what could be thought of as “liquid flesh”. Its tendency to quicken the subjects is likely inapproachable by any other medium---as it is actual tissue with which it is being rendered. In this way the painting's realism (visual arts) is not merely an optical illusion due to its level of detail, but rather is an actual transference of flesh and blood to each work. [11] “ As soon as we begin to exist as organic matter, our material state begins seeking a return to the first state from which it came, on several levels, through life processes. Our particles seem borrowed, as if only for a moment in the breadth of eternity . Our bodies appear, soak up and contain the vital fluid of existence, to give it shape and form, only then to relinquish this substance as to “ring out” the life force from a worn out “flesh-suit” back into the void. As I see it, blood is a sacred creative agent, and through its use in my work I feel that I am connecting on the most direct level with the essence of life.

[12] ” References[ edit ] ^ ArtisSpectrum Review, Volume #14, 2003, published by Agora Gallery, pg. 20, distributed through the Museum of Modern Art ^ New York Post, June 4th, 2009, pg. 15 ^ Original courtesy of Wikipedia: — Please support Wikipedia. This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia . A portion of the proceeds from advertising on Digplanet goes to supporting Wikipedia. We're sorry, but there's no news about "Vincent Castiglia" right now. Limit to books that you can completely read online Include partial books (book previews) Oops, we seem to be having trouble contacting Twitter Support Wikipedia A portion of the proceeds from advertising on Digplanet goes to supporting Wikipedia. Please add your support for Wikipedia! Searchlight Group Digplanet also receives support from Searchlight Group. Visit Searchlight Copyright © 2009-2017 Digparty. All rights reserved. Vincent Castiglia: Meet the artist who paints with his own BLOOD | Daily Mail Online Art often confronts questions of life, death and the human condition. Now one introspective painter has delved even further into existential themes.

He creates each of his works entirely from his own blood. Scroll down for video Strange themes: Vincent Castiglia sees his methods as putting 'psychic energy' into each piece. Pictured, Beautiful Vivisection Portrait of the artist: Castiglia extracts his blood in his studio and then uses it to paint the unsettling scarlet designs Vincent Castiglia, from New York, insists that the content of his work - surrealistic human bodies in various stages of decay - overshadows the strange medium. RELATED ARTICLES Share this article Share The tattooed 30-year-old describes his figures as being painted with 'what could be described as "liquid flesh"'. He says that the iron oxide in human blood is a pigment common in paint, and also found naturally in rust and iron ore. His first experiments with using his blood as paint were prompted by a 'need to connect with his work on the most intimate level', but he insists the methods are not gimmicky. Underground sensation: The tattooed 30-year-old has created art for heavy metal band albums and MTV slasher film Savage County Oxidised: Castiglia's macabre paintings can fetch up to $26,000 a time.

Pictured, Stings of the Lash (2005) 'My response would be to really take a look at the content of the work, which overshadows what it's made from, I think,' he said. 'In order for something to be a gimmick, it really would have to lack substance.' Castiglia's website says he 'practises a kind of modern-day phlebotomy [blood-letting]... siphoning the life force which contains his own psychic energy, while giving it an outlet and form [and dissolving] the barrier between artist and art.' He sketches out his pieces in graphite or pen, before extracting his blood in the studio and completing his scarlet artworks. The larger, more detailed paintings can take more than three months to complete all the works cost between $950 and $26,000. Rock and blues musician Gregg Allman recently acquired a 2006 painting by Castiglia called Gravity. Under your skin: The works look at birth, death, the human condition and deeper psychological questions.

Pictured, Conqueror (2008) Castiglia's latest exhibition, Resurrection, consists of a collection of his blood paintings from the last 10 years, and runs throughout October in Soho, Manhattan. One of the pieces, Feeding, depicts a mother with decaying legs in a wheelchair gazing at an infant she is breastfeeding. Castiglia describes it as an expression of the fragility of life and the hope and drive that can still accompany it. His art may be familiar to slasher film and heavy metal fans. In 2010, one of his works was used as the poster for MTV horror film Savage County, and other paintings were used as album art for Swiss heavy metal band Triptykon's debut Eparistera Daimones in the same year. Castiglia's work has also featured on Spike TV and tattoo parlour reality show Miami Ink. Life's work: The rust-coloured pieces show human bodies in various stages of decay.

Left, Strata of Self (2010) and right, Conqueror (2008) Blood is Thicker than Paint | Inked Magazine Blood is Thicker than Paint Nov 12, 2014 at 3:39 pm / Author: Charlie Advertisement There’s something truly classic about commissioning your own portrait, especially in a modern world plagued by the selfie surge and harsh realities of unedited photographs. It’s a breath of fresh air to see the artistic renditions and creative licenses an artist can employ when depicting someone’s likeness on canvas with whichever medium the patron and artist settle on. If you’re comedian Margaret Cho , however, you’re going to want to use blood, and lots of it. It may sound a little macabre, but blood painting has been a phenomenon going on for quite some time now. Vincent Castiglia is a New York-based artist known for working in two of the most intimate media in the world, tattooing and blood painting. When he isn’t slinging ink, he finds himself drawing his own blood to create his insane, dark master canvases.

With some of his pieces extending up to 7-feet tall, it is no wonder that he’s caught the attention of art lovers like Cho. “The initial inspiration to work with blood was to connect with my work on the most direct, most personal level possible,” says Castiglia who has been experimenting with blood painting since 2000. “Something ultimately truthful was being communicated with that substance. When I started working with it I felt a connection that I didn’t feel with any other medium. Something real was happening and I couldn’t have imagined working in anything else but that from there after.” Castiglia’s set up for painting Cho’s portrait. Cho decided not only to ask Castiglia to do her portrait, but offered to use her own blood instead of his. “She initially had asked if I could do it in her menstrual blood,” explains Castiglia, “and as cool of an idea as that is, I let her know there’s just not enough blood of that kind to do a full scale painting.” For Cho’s portrait Castiglia needed to collect 12 six-milliliter vials of her blood and use it as sparingly as possible.

“I had preferred working in my own [blood] for as long as I’ve been doing this,” Castiglia continues. “I recently arrived at a place where I questioned whether or not I needed to use mine specifically anymore. A lot of energy needed to be released by using my blood and reconstituted on these canvases so that I could understand this world a little better. I’m not sure that I need to do that anymore. So this [commission] actually came at a really interesting time.” Progress shot of Cho’s portrait After digitally laying out the sketched concept for the painting and collecting all the blood he would need from Cho, the tattooist-turned-experimental-artist then began to paint. “These canvases are white,” explains Castiglia. “All I’m dealing with is the white of the paper, so I’m developing all of the dark tones and all of the hot spots by not painting and painting around it. It’s the same principal as doing monochromatic black and grey work in tattoos. I’m also working gloved up the whole time. That’s another sort of thing that other painters don’t have to think about that I do.” The portrait took about six months to complete with its grand unveiling to Cho happening earlier in October.

“The piece really captured Margaret’s essence,” says Castiglia. “Part of my visual language is decay, but I didn’t want this to be something gory or perceived as gory, so I took it in the direction of a stone bust–something that had a classical aesthetic but then also communicated something else about her. I represented the decay in terms of cracks throughout the stone. It was a nice middle ground.” Who said you can’t turn blood into stone? The blood and brushes Castiglia used to paint with. This portrait has become a huge landmark for Castiglia. Not only does it represent an extension of his painting from his own blood to others’, but it has also begun the trend of sanguineous portraits to come. Up next for Castiglia is the commission to bring to life the portrait of the filmmaker John Borowski , known for his documentaries on serial killers. As Borowski’s art focuses on those whose lives have revolved around blood, it seems like Castiglia’s signature style will prove to be the perfect fit. There’s something truly classic about commissioning your own portrait, especially in a modern world plagued by the selfie surge and harsh realities of unedited photographs.

It’s a breath of fresh air to see the artistic […] Advertisement BONDED BY BLOOD: A CONVERSATION WITH ARTIST VINCENT CASTIGLIA | MetalSucks BONDED BY BLOOD: A CONVERSATION WITH ARTIST VINCENT CASTIGLIA October 11th, 2012 at 2:00pm 0 Artist Vincent Castigilia wasn’t well known in the metal scene until the release of Triptykon’s debut album Eparistera Daimones, which featured an interior portrait of the band painstakingly illustrated with Castiglia’s own blood. But Castiglia’s intensity and desire to cross boundaries and break taboos would resonate with metal fans regardless of his affiliation with extreme music. The Brooklyn born artist was raised in a dysfunctional home with a mother who was a compulsive hoarder. He grew up around rotting garbage, refuse and insects. As a child he listened to metal and escaped his terrible surroundings with imagination. His dedication to a medium many would consider unorthodox at the very least has paid off with the respect of the metal world, commercial gigs that once seemed unobtainable (MTV), and, currently, a showing the Sacred Gallery in New York .

Castiglia recently spoke to MetalSucks about his escape and eventual triumph through art. Read the entire conversation after the jump. What kindled your interest in art? I was always drawing, had a natural tendency to create things. If I had to describe my relationship with art at the time, it was kind of a distraction from my environment. I used it as a way to disconnect from a lot of things going on, a crazy home life. I just kept doing that and perfecting whatever I was trying to do. It was a great way to disconnect. It was almost a byproduct of circumstance. Did you come from an artistic family? No, I definitely didn’t come from an artistic background. My mother was a secretary and my father was a dental ceramist. But they had split, so I lived with my mother. What were some of the first things you picked up on? Comics? Painting? It was always drawing, as far back as I can remember. I tried to copy things from books and get them right. I was painting and drawing with pencils and pen. I started when I was ten or eleven and experimented with a lot of different things, demons and stuff like that. I painted landscapes for a short period.

What I was most inspired to do came right from my imagination. Where was your imagination taking you at that age? My childhood was extraordinarily dysfunctional. My mother just passed away recently, and there was a lot to deal with. She was a hoarder of just everything — garbage, really. I grew up in squalid circumstances; floor to ceiling garbage. I was disconnected from that for years until she passed and I had to clean it up. It was a good reminder of what things were like. My need for a disconnection from reality came from that. The more I did it, the more I continued doing it. Art was therapy that transcended [my home life] and became something different. Did you, in a sense, try to create something out of the left over things in your mother’s life? The inspiration wasn’t drawn from the actual objects, but the intensity that I experienced in my life and the world. That clutter and the putridity of it; I mean, there were maggots all over the place. There were things flying around; I still don’t know what they were to this day. So, it wasn’t just inanimate objects, but rotting garbage and stuff like that. It was a dark inspiration.

I was intimately acquainted with deterioration and death at that point. I was also hit by a car when I was eight, and my leg was set to be amputated. That was another brush with mortality. For a long time, my art was a place to put these things and give form to perceptions. Did you keep living with your mother or did you ever decide to leave? We lived in an apartment in Brooklyn. I lived in three different apartments until I went out on my own. When she did pass away, it was a real eye opener, because she wasn’t physically there, but we had to physically sort through the wreckage. In a sense, it restored her humanity, because the situation was so out of control that I had to disconnect again. When I left, our relationship was strained for obvious reasons. I almost had to compartmentalize it. But going through the stuff sort of restored her humanity, how beyond her control all of this was. It sounds like art gave you an anchor to move forward despite these challenges. For sure. Music and art have always battled for supremacy in life. Did you get into metal around the same time you got into art? For sure. I was into Iron Maiden, Metallica and Armored Saint.

You collaborated with Tom G. Warrior on the artwork for Triptykon’s first album. Do you think your partnership with him partially worked because you both had difficult childhoods? I’d have to agree. Tom and I have spoken about our past. It’s been an anchor for us. It was such a great honor to do the artwork for Tripytkon. It was the perfect fit. I think Tom saw things in me that resonated on a different level and that might be why it worked so well. How did you take your artwork forward into the world? Did you go to school? Since I was always drawing, I was placed in gifted programs for art in the public school system. [But] I pursued art independently beyond of that. I went to Fiorello H. LaGuardia High, the Fame school, for art. I went for three years and didn’t graduate, although I did really well in art. I wasn’t in the space to be functioning that high academically. Again, things were pretty messed up. I eventually put myself through a few years of art college for illustration. I decided I probably couldn’t apply my work in any commercial field [laughs].

They are training you to be a book illustrator or work in newspapers, and it was obvious that wasn’t for me. I felt like a black sheep in college. It was so systematic, with pre-made boxes, and it wasn’t happening for me. But I was continuing to make my own stuff. I’d show stuff to professors and they wouldn’t know what to do. I was working in blood by then, and a few teachers were like, “Are you crazy?” They appreciated the craftsmanship, but had no idea where it was coming from. It became apparent I had to do my own thing. Do you remember the most appalled reaction from a teacher? [loud laughter] Yeah, I do. It was an illustration teacher, an older man. I showed him a piece that was done in blood and he said: “What are you, sick?” He was half serious but also kidding. It felt like if you didn’t draw the way they taught in class that it wouldn’t work. How does one make a decision to paint in their own blood? It began as an experiment. I was doing pen and ink drawings. I was comfortable with the content and technique but I felt like something was missing in terms of intensity.

So I started using small amounts of blood. There was pain involved but then something beautiful came about. It was like a birth; something was conceived. The art was intrinsically part of me; you couldn’t get a deeper connection with the work. I fell in love with the process and kept doing it. How do you draw the blood you use? Intravenously. It’s just like giving blood at the doctor, with butterfly needles and airtight containers. They are stored in the refrigerator. Sometimes I’ll collect thirty vials, sometimes less depending on the project. I try to get just the right amount for the project I’m doing. What are the challenges working in this medium? Blood is an organic substance. The material in blood that allows it to be used as a pigment is iron oxide. It’s the same exact substance in acrylics and oil paints. It’s as fixed and inert as any pigment. It doesn’t rot. It’s not the frail, crusty blood that chips. I work on seven foot rolls of paper. It doesn’t crack and it stays fixed to the canvas. It will hold up as long as the paper will. So, if you take the same precautions with your artwork as another painting, it will last?

That’s correct. There have been cave paintings from 25,000 to 50,000 years ago that were done in animal blood that have held up. Granted, there is no light in caves, but 50,000 years is a long time. Were any metal artists influential for you? There aren’t many artists that I’d say were in inspiration, [except] maybe subconsciously. If I had to cite a few, [H.R.] Giger would be at the top of the list. Our work is in no way similar; it’s more the magnitude of his work and how prolific he is. Each piece is unique and incredible. Salvador Dali would be there, too – I love his work. There are a few others. I’m drawn to intense work. When people come to see your work in a gallery, do most know what to expect? There’s a pretty decent mix, but the majority are people aware of my work. There’s a decent amount that aren’t and are blown away. But there is usually a powerful response either way, because the work is as honest as it can be. I have a definite visual language.

If I wasn’t honest in my pursuit and this wasn’t my life – if I wasn’t reflecting part of myself – this wouldn’t be worth doing. Are there certain things you need to do health wise if you are collecting blood for paintings? Does it take a physical toll? In 2008, I was painting for a Giger show, and my lung collapsed. There are some things that indicate that blood loss can cause lung malfunction. I had invasive surgery to get that corrected. It was pretty traumatic. At this point, I try to be mindful of the amount I collect and the space of time in which I collect it. I usually won’t collect thirty vials. I’ll try to get in the middle of that. I also take iron and some other vitamins to make sure I am physically okay. Beyond that, I don’t do anything else and I feel good. That was four years ago and I’m now one-hundred percent. Before your mother passed away, was she aware of your art? She was aware of it and was very proud in her own way. She was definitely proud of the decisions I’ve made in life and where I’ve steered my path.

Once again, she was preoccupied with parts of herself that were out of her control. But she was definitely as proud as she could be. -JN Vincent Castiglia’s retrospective art exhibition Resurrection continues at Sacred Gallery in New York City through October 31. Get more details at this link . Sponsored Links from Across the Internet CVLT Nation Interviews: Artist Vincent Castiglia - 0 0 688 0 For those who are unfamiliar with the sanguine-soaked artwork of Vincent Castiglia , now is your time to take note and hold your breath before delving in. Over the course of his highly respected career, he has explored the space we as humans occupy between life and death. The fleeting and sometimes too short existence that we march through every day. Vincent has managed to not only explore and learn from these themes, but evolve along with them and in himself, as an artist. A highly touted career, covered by written and televised press across the globe, his first solo exhibition was featured at famed artist / Oscar winner H.R. Giger’s museum in Switzerland during 2008.

As he has progressed throughout the years, he has mastered a process where he siphons the blood from himself over a period of time, utilizing it to create pieces that are in fact, direct extensions of him as a human. Even adding more weight to these pieces is the absolute attention to anatomical detail in these paintings, where each painting seems to be revealing not just their living side, but the inevitable decay and collapse of its existence. In 2010, Vincent crafted the cover for the debut release “Eparistera Daimones” by Triptykon, and just recently revealed a commissioned portrait of comedian Margaret Cho. While prepping for this newest unveiling, Vincent was gracious enough over the course of a month and a few emails to offer a glimpse into his work and psyche. Photo by Nathaniel C. Shannon The first experience working with your own blood must have been a rather powerful moment. Not only in regards to opening an expressive door into yourself, but also finding the medium that spoke to you the most. Even after all these years, can you give a little insight into what you were feeling during that first moment when the idea to use your own blood came to you?

When you first saw it upon canvas with your own eyes, can you recall what that feeling was like? Vincent: I’d worked in every medium, and was at a place where I was happy with the content of the work (the images themselves) but still did not connect with the substance with which I was rendering the work. The work embodies a lot of extremely intense emotions and experiences. Pain was the operative force at that time; so I felt, what better, more accurate way to communicate this than with a literal act which pain was a part of, and would cause a release of the one substance that is so essentially a part of me? It was there that I started experimenting with using my own blood in the work. I fell in love. It was the first time I’d ever felt truly one with my own work, and that something entirely truthful was being conveyed. It started in small amounts. But as the process evolved, using it at first for highlights and backgrounds, to painting exclusively with blood, the requirement for more blood grew. Stings of the Lash Every artist has their own personal feelings in regards to their work and what it means to them, regardless of whatever medium it is that they work in.

Over the entire process of creation for one of your pieces, from the withdrawing of your blood, the applying of it, and to finally finishing the piece, do you find it to be cathartic experience? Or is it more of emotional bloodletting? Perhaps even a mixture of the two? Vincent: It’s absolutely cathartic. This is what it began as, and is still to an extent today. I say to an extent, because when this started 12-13 years ago, there was much more that needed to be purged. The work was how I understood, coped with, and related to the world. In each piece, I posed questions and received answers throughout the creative process, and resolve accompanied each painting’s completion. The inspiration has shifted slightly in degrees over time. And although much of my visual language may still be intact (decay, transmuting limbs, and the overall anthropomorphization of existential gleanings), the subjects tend to be less painful, with less violence to the flesh than years prior. Would you say that this shift, the diminishing of violence and pain in your pieces is a result of growing with your work and as a person?

Vincent: Part of it has been a conscious decision to turn my attention to new areas of human experience, to explore some new ground. The elements of decay and temporality are still an integral part of my visual language, and probably always will be. But the profound suffering and identification with the pain of this world has lessened in the work, really because it’s lessened for me to a greater degree (through the process of expressing my mine in the work). I can oscillate. Familiar pain, and the reality that we really exist in a volatile and seemingly merciless universe, in which anything can happen at any time will always be there. But new relationships, the death of old ones which were toxic, and new experiences which have been positive and pivotal for me have definitely influenced the work to a degree. Photo by Nathaniel C.Shannon You have stated that H.R. Giger has been a massive influence on your paintings and tattoo work, which resulted in you being the first American to have a solo exhibition at his museum in Switzerland in 2008. Unfortunately, the world lost a deeply original voice and visionary figure with his unfortunate passing earlier this year.

I have to apologize ahead of time if this stirs up any unhealed wounds, but having your work acknowledged by someone who directly influenced you must have been a crowning achievement for you personally. Would you mind giving some insight into all this passed and even your personal relationship with Giger? Vincent: Giger was certainly my greatest inspiration as an artist, decades before I’d met him, then a mentor after we’d met. You’re correct, in that receiving a solo exhibition invitation from Giger to exhibit my paintings at his Museum Gallery was, for me, the most incredible experience of my life. This was my very first solo show. And honestly, it could have been my last, and I could have died in peace. Having been acknowledged by Giger in this way was just the most astounding honor. I’m still humbled by this selfless gesture, and feel forever indebted to Giger, as well as to his wife, Carmen Giger. They are the loveliest people I’ve ever been fortunate enough to know in this life. Multiply Thy Sorrow Are there are any singular pieces by other artists that have stayed with you over the years? Something that has resonated with you emotionally still to this day?

Vincent: There are many, many of Giger’s, Dali’s and Bacon’s works that continue to reverberate, as well as others…just too many to cite. Photo by Nathaniel C. Shannon You’ve mentioned in other interviews that you suffered a collapsed lung a few years back, which may or may not have been related to the over-drawing of your blood. During the initial experimentation with the process of blood-letting, was there any unforeseen events or lessons that might have happened? Vincent: For one thing, I’ve learned to keep the amount of blood I’m collecting limited to about 15 tubes at a time. They have to be specific blood collection tubes as well, treated with an anticoagulant inside to prevent the blood from clotting. When I’d first started using blood, I didn’t think about any of this, and would just let the blood into spoons, and work as quickly as possible as it coagulated, then sometimes used the coagulated clots in the art also. But obviously, this wasn’t going to work in the long run. Now it’s collected using Vacutainer tubes, in moderation, and refrigerated.

Switching gears a bit, you’ve also made a name for yourself in the tattoo business. For those unfamiliar with you or even that aspect of your art, how and when did you get your start? Also, do you shift preference between mediums, or are they both driving passions? Vincent: I started tattooing in 2000, and experimenting with blood as medium right around then also, although they were completely unrelated. The year 2000 was a transformative year for me. I’d moved away from a lot of negativity (people, places, and things), so my sensibilities kind of ‘woke up’. I’d been tattooed pretty extensively by Brooklyn tattoo artist Mike Perfetto, who I cite as my informal mentor in tattooing. Mike was from the old school, was tattooing since the late 60’ early 70’s, and was a New York legend. I hadn’t really planned on tattooing or considered it seriously until 2000 (and had been getting tattooed by him since around ’95). And at once it struck me – I was already an artist, always creating my own art, and that it could translate onto skin. That was really it.

It took a short while to get used to new tools, but having the art background really just shortened the learning curve. I didn’t struggle with any of it, at any point. It’s probably the best decision I’d ever made in my life. I grew up in Gravesend, Brooklyn, in a dead-end situation (to put it lightly). Tattooing allowed me to put my creativity to use while making a living. I’ve met many great people, and some not so great people, and have enjoyed the whole ride nonetheless. It certainly beat washing dishes at the seafood restaurant I’d worked at, and busing tables at the catering hall. I think minimum wage was $5.25 an hour at the time when I’d started tattooing, and I had to continue to work that catering hall job, most of the time double shifts, sometimes 8-16 hour days on my feet to pay my bills for a while. But my tattooing took off like wildfire shortly after this, and I thankfully never had to look back. My time has always been split about 50/50 between painting and tattooing.

Around 2004-2005, I was tattooing for a week or two, then taking 2-3 weeks to paint, and painting until around 6am every day. I didn’t waste a moment of my days. As the years went on, I’ve learned to pace myself a bit better, and not work so maniacally. Yes, you can get a lot done if you’re moving at 180 miles per hour for weeks straight, but this inevitably burns you out, and the body revolts. A lot of major events took place between 2006-2008, including the lung collapse and surgery you’d mentioned, and after this, I just needed to slow down a bit and pace myself better, if I wanted to remain above ground. You also played guitar in the New York city based metal band Human Decline for a bit. Have you been exploring any music projects lately? Is there any desire to start heading down that road again? Vincent: Writing music and poetry was a very important outlet for me.

The material I’d contributed to the band is just as valid for me today as it was when it was written over ten years ago, because it marked very specific events in my life, and overcoming insurmountable difficulties. In a sense, it wasn’t written, it was blood-let from scars so deep they continued to bleed for decades. And just like my paintings and the medium I’d stumbled onto trying to release what could not be communicated in any other way, so the musical aspects of my life served their own purpose as a sincere means of letting go of what I couldn’t contain anymore. I’d love to work on a new music project, but my time is so limited, I’m not sure when I’ll find the time to do so. There’s been an ongoing discussion with one of my best friends, Vince Matthews, former vocalist of Dying Fetus, to work on a new project which I’m all about. I’d just have to carve out the time to work on it, if it’s ever going to happen. However, my former band, Human Decline will finally be releasing our “Remedy for The Living” CD as a split CD with Vince’s current band, Criminal Element, on a European record label sometime next year.

Despite this happening posthumously (since the band doesn’t exist anymore), and literally a decade later (we recorded it in 2005), I’m very happy it will finally be heard and experienced. It was so much work we’d all put into it, writing, playing, it was meticulous. And after all of this, to just disband because of trivial differences, it was just a tragedy. So, at least next year, our material will exist publicly and have it’s chance to work it’s magic and touch some people. Blood From A Stone While each creation has a special meaning to every artist in there own individual way, is there a particular piece that you’ve done which has stuck with you over the years? One that perhaps marked a milestone for you personally and professionally? Vincent: This would be hard, as there are several which are very special to me. If I had to choose one, it would probably be “The Sleep”. This painting so perfectly and entirely embodies the nature of human life: transient, illusory, dream-like.

It portrays mortal man asleep in the arms of a power greater than itself, a blind force, at once benevolent and volatile, beautiful and horrific, responsible for all phenomena, existing only as an indescribable, indiscernible meta-structure behind all of the known and unknown world, “the uncaused cause”. Mortal man is pictured completely insensate and oblivious to the preeminent reality existing outside of the shroud of his limited handful of senses and perceptual capacities. A stoic figure, embracing him, looks intently into his expressionless face, almost jealous of his oblivion. Small seeds of man’s existential epiphanies fall upward out of his seemingly empty mind, retreating back to their source, the Void, ‘falling upward,’ signaling his actual position in the universe as being upside-down, or backwards, relative to it’s vastness, and mankind’s vanities and trivial pursuits. This painting sold to Martin Eric Ain (formerly of Celtic Frost) in 2008, prior to it’s inclusion in my solo exhibition at the H. R. Giger Museum Gallery, titled, “Remedy for The Living”.

The piece hung for six months in this show, and to my knowledge is still in Martin’s collection. The Sleep Personally, while I think some people are born with inherent artistic skill, it takes years of practice to come into your own, to find yourself. There always seems to be a catalyst and a decisive moment where the artist finds their own voice/vision. Growing up, was there a initial guiding force behind the development and your interest in art? Were you pushed to pursue it or was it something buried inside you all along, something you tapped into? Vincent: To speak candidly, my circumstances growing up and living conditions were a nightmare; I barely escaped with my life and my sanity (which is arguable anyway). Making art was how I survived. It started as the most effective way to dissociate from everything around me, where I found fleeting bits of reprieve from the horror. Then, as I kept doing it, making art just became something I did naturally, obsessively, and couldn’t get away from. Eventually, it became a kind of salvation, and place to put absolutely everything I couldn’t express in any other way. It was the one place I could create beauty out of the incredible monstrosity which was reality at the time.

And today, it’s actually my ‘guiding force’. If I didn’t have my work as an outlet over the course of my life, I’d certainly be dead or in prison at this point. Feeding New York artist Paints with His Own Blood | Oddity Central - Collecting Oddities New York artist Paints with His Own Blood New York artist Paints with His Own Blood By Spooky on October 5th, 2012 Category: Art , Pics In order to better “dissolve the barrier between art and artist”, New York-based artist Vincent Castiglia uses his own blood as a medium for his disturbing paintings. Throughout his artistic career, he has used around 12 pints of blood. “My work is literally a blood sacrifice on the altar of art,”the painter says. While many artists claim a lot of sweat, blood and tears go into their art, Vince Castiglia is serious about the blood part. During the last 10 years, the painter from Hell’s Kitchen, New York, has been using his own blood as material for his art.

In a recent interview, Castiglia said he was first inspired to use the bizarre art medium by a need to connect to his work “on the most intimate level.” It just so happens that human blood contains iron oxide, a pigment found in many traditional paints, as well as in iron ore and common rust. The 30-year-old begins his artistic process by drawing pen or graphite sketches on a white canvas, before proceeding to extract the “paint”, in the privacy of his own studio. Then he dilutes the blood and uses paintbrushes to create creepy reddish characters with twisted limbs, or in different stages of decay. Throughout his decade-long career as a blood painter, Vincent Castiglia has had mostly positive reactions from art lovers, but he admits there are a few who consider his technique gimmicky. “My response would be to really take a look at the content of the work, which overshadows what it’s made from, I think,” he said. “In order for something to be a gimmick, it really would have to lack substance.” Larger blood paintings can take several months to complete, and his works range in price from $950 to $26,000.

Castiglia’s art has been exhibited mostly in America and Europe, but they have also been used as album covers for Swiss heavy metal band Triptykon’s debut “Eparistera Daimones”, and as a poster for 2010’s horror slasher, “Savage County”. Exclusive Interview: Tattoo Artist & Blood Painter Vincent Castiglia | Tattoo.com Exclusive Interview: Tattoo Artist & Blood Painter Vincent Castiglia Published on March 28, 2016 by Steph Castor There is a perspective that tends to go unnoticed in a culture that thrives on routine and safety. Not to say that routine and safety are negative things. Tattoo artist and blood painter Vincent Castiglia is deeply in tune with this perspective on life and art that is so easily misunderstood. Finding beauty and truth in death, fear, and the thing that makes us all mortal-- blood-- is what Castiglia does best. Best known for his commissioned celebrity blood portraits as well as being the first American artist to receive a solo exhibition invitation from H.R. Giger, the humble yet stoic artist has much to be proud of in the realm of fine art as well as tattoo culture.

Castiglia shared stories on his artistic upbringing just shortly after his Gary Holt (Slayer/Exodus) guitar exhibition at NAMM 2016. Where did you get your start as an artist? What life events and experience contributed to your development? From as early as I can remember drawing was something I did on a daily basis. Making art was a way to channel what I felt in a constructive way. Circumstances were not good growing up to say the least, so making art was the most powerful way of separating myself from my environment and creating a new reality. After a certain point, having been making art for so long, I knew being an “artist” was something I'd hoped to accomplish, professionally, but I believe the creative process really began as a by-product of my circumstances. It’s how I survived. Your reputation as an artist is based heavily on portraits painted in blood, especially celebrity portraits such as Margaret Cho, who we have also spoken to. How did you first become involved in collaborations with musicians and other celebrities? I’m all grassroots. I just started creating the work because I had to.

And because the work's existed for quite a while now, just by making the art, exhibiting it, and so forth, it’s visibility grew to the extent that somehow collectors such as Margaret, Gregg Allman, etc. found a painting of mine in front of them and saw fit to purchase or commission one. That’s as simply as I could answer that question in one response. The one major art event, which I’d cite as one of the best days and experiences of my life personally, was my solo exhibition at the H.R. Giger Museum in Switzerland. What made the experience even more surreal was that it was my very first solo exhibition. As an artist, I could have died then and been at peace (although I wasn’t trying to die at that particular point in time). Giger was my favorite artist, whose work I connected with the most out of anything I had ever seen. Growing up loving Giger’s work, surrounding myself with his posters on my walls, then having been acknowledged by him in this way was just mind-blowing for me. Beyond this, I’m just so very grateful to have known him. You are also a tattoo artist out of your own studio in New York City called Arcanum.

What percentage of your time is spent tattooing versus blood painting? Do you have a preferred outlet between the two? How do the client experiences differ? It’s currently around 70/30, 70% painting, 30% tattooing, as I’m working on my new body of paintings titled, “Autopsy of The Soul.” Most of the time it’s 50/50. This body of work is my examination of the issues I believe to be at the heart of humanity in our present age, as well as issues personally important to me. The series also includes some private commissions by collectors. I enjoy and respect both art forms equally, as they each have their own beautiful and amazing nuances. But because with painting I have complete artistic license, painting is what I’d cite as my purest form of visual expression, because there are no specifications being dictated by the collector. Even with my private commissions, I don’t take on any projects that aren’t 100% in line with my work and aesthetic. The way I look at it, why else would I be creating art if not for a sincere personal communication of the things which are incommunicable by any other means?

They’re allegorical expressions and psychic containers. Tattooing is its own incredible creative exchange, because I get to bring to life the client’s vision, and hopefully, imbue their designs with the most important elements of their personality or the things they value. My range of clients and collectors in both arenas span the whole spectrum-- all types. You recently showcased a guitar at NAMM 2016 designed for Gary Holt. Do you have any other instrumental projects in the works? I’ve gotten many requests after this, which is great. But again, this was a very special project. There’s another possible project of this nature (and stature) in discussion, which I’m a little superstitious to discuss until ink is on paper. But, for the right price, I’d consider another instrument-painting project for those who aren’t yet Metal gods. Working with Gary was such an honor and pleasure, he’s just such an awesome human being and one of the most incredible talents in Metal music. How has tattooing contributed to your understanding and appreciation for blood, and vice versa? It has greatly contributed, in terms of its correct handling and sanitary precautions.

Being a licensed tattoo artist in the city of New York, the first thing you have to do is learn about health. In fact, that’s what the entire tattoo license test is about, universal precaution, sterilization, cross-contamination, etc. So having to operate this way certainly helped and lent itself to the work that I do on canvas, although the inspiration for each are different. Rather than paintings, you have described your work as "hemorrhages." How do you address any criticism from those who aren't as acclimated and comfortable with the concept? I’ve described them metaphorically in this sense, because the definition of a hemorrhage is "an escape of blood from a ruptured (blood) vessel, especially when profuse.” My personal art-- the work I do on canvas-- occurred because the “pressures” of my existence were too much to bear for far too long until I, the “vessel,” ruptured (emotionally) onto these surfaces, using the singularly personal substance of blood. I don’t generally hear much criticism, oddly enough. I believe this is the case because the craftsmanship and thoughtfulness of the concepts can’t be disputed. I’m not throwing blood against the wall or smearing it around.

These paintings take me hundreds of hours over the course of dozens of passes over the entire surface of the painting. But in the instances that I do hear anything, it’s either from those who’ve heard about the work but haven’t seen it yet, or others who haven’t known any significant suffering, so the work disturbs them and heralds the harsh realities that await everyone (infirmity, death, decay, etc.), which are more comfortable to avoid, try not to think about, or criticize. What are your typical sources and materials used for blood paintings, and what are the safety procedures you employ? The blood is collected intravenously into Vacutainer tubes. The tubes are refrigerated and used one by one as needed throughout the painting process. Approximately fifteen 3ml tubes are collected per blood drawing. I work from five different consistencies of blood contained in separate resealable containers, adding water and blood to each container as needed to achieve the desired consistencies at each point of the painting. These are sealed in small air-tight containers, which I paint out of. I work from “light” to “dark.” The first consistency used is mostly water with just a few drops of blood.

With this I paint the entire underpainting. The second contains more blood than the first. Likewise the third contains more blood, the fourth mostly blood, and the fifth is blood alone, which oxidizes over the course of the weeks or months painting (before I even touch it) and becomes an opaque pigment or thick “paste,” which can be activated with a few drops of water. This last opaque consistency is used to paint in all of the “darks” and complete the paintings. Every work surface is protected with plastic barriers and sanitized with Madacide after use. I joke all the time about this, saying my life is just one endless procession of barriers. The entire room is also bombed with the disinfectant fogger known as Sterimist after the completion of each paint, just to be a nut job about it. You could safely and comfortably eat off of my floors. For more information on Vincent Castiglia, upcoming galleries and more, click here .

TRIPTYKON Cover Artist Announces Sacrifices For The Sanguinary Age Art Exhibition - Bravewords.com TRIPTYKON Cover Artist Announces Sacrifices For The Sanguinary Age Art Exhibition September 4, 2010, 6 years ago hot flashes news triptykon Bravewords.com has received the following press release from artist Vincent Castiglia (who created the cover art for TRIPTYKON's Eparistera Daimones. Castiglia creates all his work exclusively in human blood): Meta Gallery is pleased to present Sacrifices For The Sanguinary Age, new works by Vincent Castiglia. In his first exhibition with the gallery as well as his first in Canada, Castiglia delivers his latest body of work with the same cunning skill and depth of visionary dimension for which he has become best known. Representing the dark and otherworldly realms of the human psyche, Castiglia's work elucidates the fragility and innocence of life and is at the foreground of the contemporary visionary practice.

Drawing on a variety of inspiration, from mythical and metaphysical religious symbolism, to HR Giger, to many in the fantastic visionary tradition, Castiglia's figurative surrealist works utilize iconography from various mystic traditions, occultism and witchcraft to create a vision of humanity as struggling, and eventually surrendering to, its own mortality. With the life/death/rebirth cycle as prominent themes in the artist's works, a unified vision of a flawed yet redeemable mankind emerges. One whose hope lies in the strength garnered from the struggle itself. The medium used to achieve these beautiful works further lends itself to the allegorical quality of the artist's expression. Castiglia's own blood is the sole substance used to create the wide tonal range found in these works. During this process, Castiglia's paintings become a metaphor for his life and art, and visa versa, as he works to resolve his own impermanence and invites the viewer to contemplate the same within themselves. Vincent Castiglia was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1982. After attending Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School the artist decided not to attend art school and instead focus on his painting full time.

He is the first American artist to be given a solo exhibition of his works at the HR Giger Museum in Gruyere, Switzerland as well his art has been exhibited worldwide from New York to San Francisco, Hollywood to London. His work has been featured on television and in print as well as an entry in "The International Encyclopedia of Fantastic, Surrealistic, Symbolist and Visionary Artists." He lives and works in NYC. Sacrifices For The Sanguinary Age will be on view from September 10 to October 10, 2010. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 12-6 PM. The opening reception will be on Friday September 10 from 7-10 PM. Artist in attendance. Vincent will be giving an artist talk at the gallery on Saturday September 11 from 1-3 PM. Please email Jody Polishchuk at jp@metagallery.com to be put on the preview list for this exhibition or for further information. Meta Gallery

Question: New York artist Vincent Castiglia is noted for painting with what unconventional substance?
Answer: Blood