You are in for a real treat!  This would have to be the most unique artist STAMP or anyone has come in contact with in recent memory.  Coming all the way from Australia, sit back and enjoy my recent conversation with Rev Mayers “Dr. Rev Bloodpainter.” 

STAMP: Introduce yourself.  What is something you want the world to know about you?
Dr. Rev: My name is Dr.Rev Bloodpainter.  I am a realism specialist who translates imagery and emotion from day to day life into artwork using nothing but my own blood.

STAMP: When did you become interested in art?
Dr. Rev: I have been artistic my entire life. I was put into school early because I was drawing from such a young age. But it was also the cause of my educational decline in my high school years, it seems drawing in math class causes you to fail!

STAMP: What is your medium of choice and why?
Dr. Rev: The million dollar question!  I have no actual reason as to why I only paint in blood now.  Over the years I have sculpted and airbrushed, both art and automotive.  I’ve painted in acrylic, oils, and inks.  I’m a tattoo artist as well, but I’m drawn to blood for a number of reasons.  I think partly because its not a medium.  As such it was never intended to be used the way I use it.  But also because it is physically a part of me.  It is my genetic material on that canvas.  If anyone can show me another way to put yourself into their art then id like to see it.  To be perfectly honest, I do like the freak factor as well.  I’ve always been one to rub people the wrong way, not to be malicious, but just to make sure I don’t fit in.  I don’t want to fit in.

STAMP: Did you study at an art school?  If so which one and how was that experience?  If not, do you wish you did?
Dr. Rev: In my first year in high school, I had an amazing art teacher.  She knew what I could do and helped me so much, I had no boundaries with her.  She entered me in competitions and prizes.  She allowed me to use the school rooms after hours to paint, but by the end of that year she left and was replaced by a soulless, pretentious, bookworm, whose idea of art differed from mine. Therefore I was failed every year of my high school career.  Fortunately my artistic streak wasn’t destroyed and I began ditching classes to go to another art class, which I didn’t belong in.  That teacher was very understanding and she became my artistic role model for the remainder of high school.

After that I went into graphic design, at a very demoralizing time, when computers were just beginning to replace those with physical ability.  My airbrushing skills were being replaced by those with computer skills, and photoshop was about to make everyone an artist!

I soon left the design world and wasted several years doing nothing.  Then I began tattooing, and have been for over a decade now.  My painting reflects a lot in my tattooing, and vice versa.  I specialize in realism, portraits etc.  For me, capturing realism is the most rewarding form of art.  It’s what drives me.

STAMP: How were you able to take your love for art and make it into a career?
Dr. Rev:  Im my career as a tattoo artist, I have seen it all.  And over the years I slowly changed my studio from a tattoo shop int an art gallery.  I often have clients come in and ask if they are in the right place.  There has always been this ominous cloud over the tattooing industry.  And I have tried so hard to show people that we aren’t all bikies, and that when i tattoo you, for me its no different to my painting a portrait for you.  Only the canvas and tools differ.  So for me now there is no line
separating my art and my tattooing.  I think it’s the way it should be.  Would you rather be tattooed by a tattooist or an artist?

STAMP: You have a very recognizable style.  Do you find it challenging to infuse this signature look with your diverse range of clients?
Dr. Rev: No for me my signature is the blood.  I have painted in a watercolor style on arches paper.   I have painted a portrait of Valentino Rossi on his bike.  I’ve painted fantasy, nightmarish imagery, and somewhat surreal pieces, depending on my mood, and the events in my life at that point.  The subjects continually change and so does my style.  The only thing that is consistent is the medium.

STAMP: Have you ever felt limited or trapped by your style?  With so much pressure on mainstream art, have you felt peer pressured into conforming?
Dr. Rev: I feel the pressure, yes.  You have any idea how hard it is to find a gallery who will show your art when its painted in blood?  My work sells very well, but finding a gallery who doesnt want to use you as some freakshow to draw crowds is almost impossible.  Then you occasionally find one and they take off with your painting which happened recently, never to be seen again.

STAMP: Can you remember the first piece you ever did and what inspired you to do it?
Dr. Rev: No to be honest i can’t.  Terrible isn’t it!  My first experiment with blood, I can tell you was at school.  But that is as good as the memory gets I’m afraid.

STAMP: Can you tell any interesting stories about specific pieces, artists, or projects that you’ve worked on?
Dr. Rev:  I recently did a collaboration piece with gothic artist Avelina De Moray.  Now she is a digital artist, so the only compromise we could come to was for me to replicate her art in blood which I did.  A beautiful vampire piece.  That was a lot of fun.  I like to collaborate with different artists so anyone out there let me know if you want to do anything crazy!

I was also planing on a performance piece which was rejected by Guiness world records because Guiness doesnt consider art to be worthy as a record breaking event.

My plan is to have my airbrush surgically attached to the vein in my arm, and to paint a piece with the blood flowing directly from my arm into the airbrush onto the canvas!  This will still happen, it just wont be a record and will hopefully happen early next year.

STAMP: When a clients approaches you for a project, what factors, enter into your decision to take it (besides money)?
Dr. Rev:  What is the piece?  What are the references?  What restrictions do I have?  What size canvas are they looking at?  Do I have artistic license or do I need a faithful reproduction of the image supplied?  And how much blood will I need to collect for the job?

STAMP: Are there any clients you wish to work with, that you haven’t already?
Dr. Rev:  Artists mainly.  I did try to paint H.R. Giger, he is without doubt the biggest artistic influence in my life.  He is the reason I began airbrushing.  I spoke with his PR but he wasnt willing to sit with me for a session.  Even if I flew all the way to Austria for that.  Fair enough I suppose.

So many artists I’d love to collaborate with.  Mark Ryden is one.  But this is an open invite to all artists!  We need to support one another.  Nothing worse than artists who dont have time for anyone once they make a name for themselves.  It pisses me off.

STAMP: What have been your favorite projects to work on to date? Why?
Dr. Rev: The Avelina De Moray piece is probably one of my favorites.  Partly because it’s so big, (800 x 400) and it had to be a perfect reproduction.  So it pushed me to do my very best, and I love a challenge.

STAMP: What are your challenges as an artist?
Dr. Rev:  To continually improve.  To not let your work become stale and predictable.  To keep painting because you want to, not because you have to.  I will NEVER paint for the money.  I have refused more commissions than i have accepted.  For me I have to want to do the piece.  I don’t paint for money, I tattoo for that.

STAMP: Have you ever shown in galleries? If so, what was the experience like? If not, how come?
Dr. Rev:  I have been in 2.  One was great.  They had a good turnout.  Local media showed, and my work was accepted very well.  The other I though would do very well.  I only submitted one piece.  Unfortunately I had a buyer for that painting before i sent it.  But as it turned out, the curator had a falling out with the gallery space and left, along with my painting.  So I not only lost one of my paintings, I lost the client who wanted it.

STAMP: Have you ever created an amazing piece by mistake?
Dr. Rev:  Most of my work gets to a point where i am ready to throw it in the bin.  Usually at the 40% stage.  I really have to tell myself to relax walk away and come back.  I get this feeling that it’s not going to work out and I have to push through that.  Luckily to date ive never thrown away a painting.

STAMP:  What role do you feel the internet has on art? Positive or negative?
Dr. Rev:  Both, there is a positive and negative in everything.  The positive, is that it allows things like this interview to happen.  Without the internet, it would be so much harder to show the world your art, and to find people to help you or buy your work.

The bad I guess is the same thing.  I think alot of galleries and art related people would get so tired of endless submissions from mediocre artists that it’s possible to overlook that one great one buried in amongst the rest.  It’s so easy to submit art for shows now.  It’s simply click. Click. Pay. Done.  Which means more money for greedy galleries and less personal interaction for the artists who genuinely work hard for a percentage.  The biggest problem is a lot of galleries feel it’s a privilege for you to have them display your work.  When it’s the opposite, without us, the artists galleries are nothing but empty rooms.

STAMP: Do u feel like your work is evolving.
Dr. Rev:  Most definitely.  With every painting, my blood is never the same.  It varies according to diet temperature.  How I’m feeling, sleep, everything.  So each time I use it, it’s different.  But each piece I take something new away from it.

STAMP: What advice would you give a young artist just starting or trying to get started?
Dr. Rev:  Don’t give up!  Do what you want, not what sells!  Listen to all advice given to you, but make your own judgment.  Your art is a reflection of you.  Don’t sell yourself short to try making a name for yourself.

STAMP: What can we expect in the future from you?
Dr. Rev: Bigger better paintings….  Some realistic and some really creepy stuff too.  I’m also toying with a series idea, but not sure yet.

STAMP: Do you agree with the overall objective of STAMP Magazine?  Why or Why Not?
Dr. Rev: Hell yes!  Anything that benefits artists and art in general, without slander or ridicule is a good thing.  Art is meant to be inspiring.  I hope that just one person who reads this gets inspired.  Not to run off and slap blood around, but to do something they want to do.  To make something that will last forever.  I hope one day that contemporary art dies.  And what I consider true art, like that Bloke (video posted on STAMP previously. See it here) sculpting that guy with the hat!  That was pure brilliance.  I’ve never wanted to mess with clay but that makes me want to!  Inspire one another.  Make the most of places like this.  Help each other out.  That’s what we are here for!

The reason for art is to know you are alive.  Dr.Rev

To learn more about Rev visit his websites: art – http://www.bloodpainter.org; tattoo – http://www.revtattoo.com