Today we’d like to introduce you to Vincent Mattina.
Hi Vincent, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born in St. Louis Missouri. Ever since I could hold a pencil in my hand I loved to draw.
My appreciation of art was due to my mother. I had uncles and cousins that could draw and paint but none of them ever parlayed their talent into a career. My mother was a pattern maker and then a clothing designer. She was my biggest creative influence and gave me the most encouragement in my family.
I inherited my independent spirit from my father. He always owned his own business whether it was a restaurant or a bar. His first career was as a shoemaker and during prohibition, he ran moonshine from St. Louis to Chicago – and one of Al Capone’s brothers was his roommate, true story!
After taking as many art classes as I could in high school, I was ready for college. I started at a Jr. College near my home where I received two associate degrees; Simultaneously Fine Art and Commercial Art. Then I found a 4-year art school in Ohio (CCAD) and married my two art passions with one bachelor’s degree in Illustration.
After graduation, I moved out of the Midwest and into the Los Angeles area. I gained recognition as an Art Director and Designer while working in the marketing and garment industries.
At work, I became fluent in software programs such as Photoshop and Illustrator. I found these new tools were essential for my vision and exploration of the deeper parts of myself. Since then I also became interested in assemblage which went well with my love of Surrealism.
I am currently integrating the two mediums of digital and found objects into mixed media assemblages. My go-to tool is still the pencil but now I have software, mixed media, and found objects to realize my vision.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The starving artist isn’t just a stereotype, and going into being an artist full-time has its ups and downs. I am far from starving but not anywhere near a six-figure salary for sure.
I do some design work and added side gigs to supplement my income but I am the most content I have ever been. I’m finally doing what I love. I find I don’t always get into every gallery or festival I want, but do OK thanks to having a permanent space at the Urban Arts gallery.
The Art Alliance has also opened the Bizarre Bazaar at the Shops at South Town in Sandy. I recently received a grant to build out a room I proposed for the new Dreamscapes, an interactive art exhibit. It’s pretty exciting and bigger than anything I have ever worked on before. I’ve already started construction on this project. It should be open to the public very soon.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I start the process with a sketch and then work on the computer with my photography to create digital collages. Recently, I have been expanding my use of digital collages in other media. This includes mixed media assemblage and laser engraving.
These works are also made with found objects. Because I suffer from sleep apnea, I sometimes explore the topic of sleep deprivation and its effects on my reality. Each series I create is linked to recurring concerns such as Climate Change, Transhumanism, and the Spiritual Realm. The subject matter of each piece determines the colors, textures, and images used to create it.
I combine my own photos and stock images with Photoshop. This endeavor usually creates 40 plus layers or more, which makes for some very big files! There is a lot of back and forth during the creative process. I have a basic idea and sometimes even a rough sketch of what I want to create. Usually, I never do a digital piece in one sitting. I add images, modify them, add other imagery, change colors, and edit. Then I put it away for a bit and work on something else. Eventually, I come back to an initial idea and rework it. This can go on for a few days or weeks. I have a whole folder of pieces in progress. I keep them for a while and if they don’t inspire me to release them to the public, they get deleted.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was captivated by worlds I could create with crayons and a piece of paper when I was a child.One of my earliest memories was in kindergarten. I was recognized by the whole class because I could draw the best Batmobile! Like most kids of my generation, I wanted to be a SuperHero or an astronaut… My next choice was an artist.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@vincentmattina.com
- Website: https://www.vincentmattina.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vincentmattina
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theartofvincentmattina
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/vincentmattina
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/VincentMattina
