I wanted to learn how to paint like the masters, but the instructors encouraged much freer forms of artistic expression that required no real artistic skill or discipline. – After taking several years of art classes throughout high school, I attended the Cleveland Institute of Art to pursue a career as a fantasy artist. My fascination with the dark side is still very strong and has been my biggest inspiration, continually driving me to create art, music and literature that reflects my love for all things gothic.Īt a later stage in his life, he decided to pursue a degree in art, however at some point of his education, he realized that what was being taught didn’t align with his interests. But once I embraced my passion, I began to create my own gothic works based on my dark interests and the ideas that lurked in the shadows of my imagination. The more frightening or sinister something was, the more I was intrigued by it.Īs a young adult, I felt that my love of these things was just a youthful infatuation that I should outgrow. My interest in Edgar Allan Poe began after watching the American International films based on his stories, “The Pit and the Pendulum” and “Masque of the Red Death”. I loved the old black and white Universal horror films, Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Wolf Man, and The Creature from the Black Lagoon. I watched horror films on TV whenever I could, and those movies were my first exposure to the classics of Gothic literature. I was constantly drawing dragons, vampires, werewolves, gargoyles and other nightmarish creatures.

As a youth, I was fascinated by the supernatural and anything that was strange or mysterious. – I’ve been drawn to the dark side my entire life. Throughout this conversation, we discuss his passion for the gothic culture, art and pursuit of success by following his heart no matter the obstacles. His body of work depicts a multitude of shades, including the dark, mystical and horror in an immersive manner. Joseph Vargo is a prolific gothic artist known for his distinctive paintings and haunting music with Nox Arcana.

Nox arcana