If you’ve ever watched any of the original Alien movies or loved yourself some Danzig back in the day, then you’ve already been exposed to the artistic stylings of Hans Ruedi (H.R.) Giger, a Swiss artist whose love of dark dreamscapes and biomechanical motifs were just as strong as his affinity for boobs and dicks in his work. Glance at any of Giger’s work and you’ll see the melding of human flesh and cold steel.
Starting tomorrow and running until February 2023, artist Vincent Castiglia is opening a new art exhibition that not only honors the late artist, but showcases some of his original works. Hosted at the Vincent Castiglia Gallery in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this exhibit is sure to get surreal.
Endorsed by Giger’s estate, the exhibit will feature original art pieces by the iconic Swiss artist in the main hall, while a collection of Castiglia’s paintings will be shown in an adjacent gallery.
Like Giger, whose works showcased a sort of surreal visual style that’s all his own, Castiglia’s gained notoriety within the artistic world for doing the insanely metal thing and using human blood in his work. His work is so unique that his first exhibition was hosted at the H.R. Giger Museum in Switzerland, titled “Remedy for the Living.” He was the first American to receive a solo exhibition invitation from the museum.
“The opening day of “Remedy for The Living” with HR at the Museum Gallery I cite that as the best day and experience of my life. Giger was like a god to me growing up, an artistic inspiration of the highest order. It was a dream come true. In addition to being one of the greatest artists of our time, he was kind of like a prophet. Giger was just an unparalleled talent, his work was just so far beyond anything I’ve ever seen. He mediated into this world a body of work singular in vision and execution, the depths of which we’re only beginning to scratch the surface of, that will no doubt reverberate through infinity”.
For exhibition curator Stephen Romano, the combination of Giger’s extremely evocative work with Castiglia’s unique style fits well together because both artists seem to make sense of the surreal in their own ways.
“While Vincent Castiglia’s art makes stylistic references to surrealism, it is not born out of dreams or fantasy, but rather the artist’s own trauma and ordeal. In that regard, an understanding is required that the story of Vincent’s life is inextricably intertwined with his art, much like outsider artists Henry Darger and Adolph Wolfli. This gives the art itself a level of authenticity. Yet, Vincent’s art, much like H.R. Giger’s, is shamanic, in that it attempts to not only purge the artist of his trauma, but acts as a cathartic experience for the viewer, as they may bring their own subjective experience to the interpretation of the works, and thereby experience a similar healing experience. This, to me, is the most noble aspiration an artist can have.
“As a curator I’ve had the opportunity to present Vincent Castiglia’s art in several different settings. What is astonishing, and truly notable is that people from all walks of life respond to it emphatically. It is a testament to Vincent’s artistic practice that it brings so much awe and elation to a world deeply in need of healing. This is the artist as altruist, with unselfish regard for and devotion to the welfare of others, that both Vincent and H.R. Giger perpetuate in their art.”
For more information, call the Vincent Castiglia Gallery at (754) 200-4575. If you’re in the Fort Lauderdale area, this is definitely an event you won’t want to miss out on.