The take-no-prisoners comedy queen Margaret Cho is raising the bar on badass again, by getting a portrait of herself…wait for it…painted in her own blood. We girls know blood preeeetty well, and although it can sometimes make us want to gag, it’s nothing to be afraid of, and it’s inside us all!
This whole thing might freak some people out, as seen in the video below, wherein you can watch one weirdo experience the exact moment when he’s bitten off more than he can chew.
Apparently, blood contains the same component as many paints: iron oxide. You may be aware that the Statue of Liberty was not originally its famous green, yes? Well, that is the effect of oxidization; exposing copper to air over time results in that green color. A similar effect occurs when painting with blood.
Mind blown, right?
“It does take on the hue of a kind of rust,” says Vincent Castiglia, the artist commissioned to paint Cho.
Castiglia usually uses his own blood, which has ruled out the menstrual variety up until now. People might imagine art painted with blood as bright red and gory, but Castiglia manipulates the bodily fluid into sepias and browns. It’s possible to include menstrual blood in Cho’s portrait but interestingly enough, even though your period might often seem to echo The Shining, Castiglia says there’s no way there’d be enough for a full portrait.
Margaret Cho interviewed Castiglia for the art anthology TOME 2, and on her talk show, Monsters of Talk. With the help of a phlebotomist, Cho has already drained the 18mL of blood needed to completely realize the portrait.
Cho is said to be planning on using the artwork for tour posters and CD’s. Also, Castiglia and his fiancé, who helps with the business side of his art, make the cutest couple. Just sayin’.
