Have you ever looked at a picture and knew you were looking at true evil that was actually real beauty? Nestor Avalos is a master of the dark arts of graphic design and morbid handmade illustrations. What separates him from many is that he draws from this world’s gruesome history to help create his scenes of pain and anguish. Nestor has a way of using shapes within the shadows to add to the torment. His imagery has a medieval quality and a ghost-like essence. His hand drawn pieces scream in the voices of the horrific demons that must be flying around his imagination as he scrawls them. Nestor’s work is rich in the truth that most people try to hide from. Today, CVLT Nation celebrates the dark wizard of art, Nestor Avalos – check out a gallery of his work after the jump!

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Animetalphysical is Sean Reynolds Williams, as well as the stunning visuals behind much of Pallbearer‘s vinyl and merch. His illustrations and paintings contemplate existence on a metaphysical level, taking the viewer into a place of deep meditation where he explores esoteric planes of thought and dimension. Whether in black and white or vivid color, his work is captivating, and it’s easy to see how well his imagery works with the heavy resounding tones of Pallbearer’s music. He plays with perspective in a way that draws the eye to many places at once, but without creating confusion. It’s more like seeing through the wormhole into several different worlds that all coexist at once. Space figures prominently in many of his pieces, whether as a backdrop of bursting stars or as planets inhabited by surreal beings, and lends a sense of the mysteries of the universe to his work. Animetalphysical’s imagery goes hand in hand with a mind’s eye turned translucent by sticky clouds of weed smoke, open to all the possibilities of the imagination’s journey. After the jump, check out a gallery of his work, some of which are available for sale through his Facebook page.
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I studied William Blake’s poetry in grade 12, and while I found his writings haunting and beautiful, if someone had told me he was also a prolific artist, I would have been so much more interested in him. In fact, I had no idea he was an artist until I was given a book of his illustrations a few years later. Characterized as a Romantic or Pre-Romantic artist, to me, Blake is more of an OG metal artist, in that his work invokes the monsters of humanity and the fear of the evil supernatural so often referred to in metal imagery. He depicts Satan and dark angels in human form, demonstrating how darkness exists in humanity instead of as an animal, outside force. His work is extremely unique and in a genre of its own. Biblical imagery makes up the majority of his inspiration, but as opposed to the usual blind reverence shown for Christianity, Blake communicates the sinister atmosphere of judgment that organized religion imposes on its followers. Blake’s last artistic commission was a series of watercolors for Dante’s Divine Comedy in 1826, cut short by his death in 1827. These watercolors embody the macabre spirit of Dante’s work, and Blake captures the suffering souls and sinners to perfection. For a devout man, he certainly had a talent for creating dark and disturbing depictions of punishment and hell. After the jump, check out a selection of Blake’s paintings…

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Passing by the walls of urban environments and seeing the different art that has found its way there fascinates me. It was on my first trip to London that I realized that street art was global, but when I went to Rome, I really knew it – it was everywhere. Walking around Old Street in east London in the early 2000′s is where I began to see the various languages that the artists spoke with the techniques they used. What sparked my imagination is how some artists used the landscape as a part of the story they were trying to convey. Phlegm is one of those kinds of street artists, one that makes his environment work for him so that he can draw you into his narrative. His characters are highly detailed and very bold. Phlegm’s work is so striking that when I look at it, I lose myself in his surreal world. Phlegm also creates comics and books of his ink drawings, and is working on a new one that will include a foldout of his “Civilization” artwork. CVLT Nation would like to salute this artist for creating art that is so weird it’s our brand new normal. After the jump, peep a huge gallery of Phlegm’s pieces and a video of him at work.
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Death is a mystery that humankind is compelled to explore. Some people deny its existence, clinging to a life after death, others embrace its nothingness. Still others, like Zdzisław Beksiński, create with their minds a dead land, where skin has dissolved from flesh and flesh from bone, a place dedicated to the warmth of decay. Unlike many who envision a nightmare landscape, Beksiński’s world is not a cold one – his scenes may focus on a dead subject, but they pulsate with life. Looking at paintings from his “fantastic period,” I feel a moist, warm breeze touch my skin, as if the humid breath of a decaying land surrounds me. More often than not, he paints in warm colors, and his subjects move in an almost underwater-like way, a slow motion undulation and flutter. The whole scene has the texture and fragility of blood vessels, as if the world he depicts exists just under our skin, its spongy texture pulsating with our life force. His life and work has made him a hero in his home town of Sanok, Poland, and his death by murder in 2005 makes him a tragic figure, whose lonely and macabre imagery takes on a new significance. After the jump, check out a small selection of Beksiński’s work…
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Fuck yeah, the art of Philippe Caza is is one gigantic pill of epicness! The color that flows out of his imagination is fucking amazing. This French Sci-Fi master has influenced many illustrators in the heavy scene. On a personal level, I just can’t get enough of looking at his art, because it inspires me and takes me back to my childhood. Philippe Caza’s work with Metal Hurant and all of his pieces from the 80′s will stand the test of time. Today CVLT Nation would like to paint the universe with Caza…So peep a huge gallery of his art after the jump!

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After living in NYC for over 12 years, it’s easy for me to pinpoint the the things about it that fed my soul. The visual stimulation that street art brought into my reality, I will never forget. You walk the streets of the Lower East Side and all of the tags jump out at you. Although what got me super hyped were the artists who went beyond just using spraypaint such as Faile or Bast, but it was that made my jaw drop every time. His work has so much movement and energy that it automatically gets your attention. I also respect that his work seemed to deal with social issues and tell stories visually and mentally. WK Interact’s pieces tripped me out because he was able to get them in places that seemed in possible to get to. Today, CVLT Nation would like to pay tribute to WK Interact with a gallery of his work after the jump!

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A few weeks ago, I posted about Ixaxaar Occult Literature‘s witchcraft shop, and while researching for the post I came across a stunning piece of artwork enshrining Santissima Muerte. The artist who painted this saint with depth and passion is Devon, UK’s Stuart Littlejohn, and I have since come to admire his work above many others I have seen. He delves into a world rich with magick, occult and symbolism, depicting ancient figures in powerful scenes that make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. His colors are vibrant, but he layers them to create a profound darkness, a cavern of color that pulls the viewer in. His subjects are gods, goddesses and royalty of the esoteric shadows, richly robed and holding talismans, exuding emotion. His portraits are modern renditions of Renaissance work, but encompass centuries on the canvas. It’s almost like looking at the Ancients through time, and as it builds up around you it changes the lens through which you are seeing, layering realities to create a whole image. After the jump, check out a small sample of Littlejohn’s paintings…
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A few weeks back, we posted about the Clouds Without Water art show at the Rooz on Park Cafe in Oakland, CA, featuring work by Reuben Sawyer (Rainbath Visual) Bryan Proteau (Natvres Mortes Illvstration) and Tanner McCardle, and live performances by ANTWON and Uncanny Valley. Well, the show was a success – despite it being on June 14th, the same day that BART went down, leaving hundreds of thousands of people stranded in the Bay Area. A crowd still turned out to support our homies and admire some truly epic artwork! Here are some pics of the event, and make sure that when this happens again, you are there! Mark my words – these guys are artists to watch, you should pick their stuff up before you can’t afford it!

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A lot of our readers are creative people; we know this because some of our most popular posts feature DIY clothing like hand-patched, studded and painted battle jackets, vests and crust pants. This post is going to focus on leather, because I love leather, and painted leather specifically. Painting on a beautiful leather jacket or vest adds that extra dimension of love that I really appreciate. It’s amazing to see the effort that has gone into creating a truly unique piece, especially when it’s a detailed back patch in vibrant colors, or a band logo that has been lovingly painted in the perfect spot. It takes a while to achieve the perfect look with painted patches – the jacket I made for my husband took me three months to complete. And above all, each piece shows the individuality of the wearer, in the placement, colors and images chosen to adorn this priceless garment. After the jump, check out a selection of leather battle jackets found on Tshirtslayer…

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