I have known Giancarlo Facchinetti now for sixteen years.
We first met at a sculpture exhibition: he was exhibiting his second year work along with three other Fine Art students from the University of Wolverhampton.
I was surprised, delighted by and deeply moved by his work then, and he has continued to move many with his creativity: pushing us, through his work, into questioning our preconceptions – in word, music, sound, and art.
I think he would say he was a sound artist first and foremost: he taught himself the keyboard, as he found traditional lessons stifling. He can now play numerous instruments, and it seems to me that he hears the music he wants to play – then explores and exploits the instrument until he finds it. He would probably tell me that’s wrong – but I hold the Maligned Species theme tune as evidence… as he described what he was thinking of playing to Tom Wentworth and I so clearly that when he had composed and recorded it, it was like a friend who had improved with age.
In musical terms – he has played to hundreds, on the Birmingham Arts Fest stage on Centenary Square, as part of the psychedelic band: Electrik Blanket; and has collaborated with poets, singer songwriters and guitarists. But his most interestingly experimental work often develops when he is alone with his instruments, loop pedal, technology and thoughts.
In e-x-p-a-n-d-i-n-g: The History of the Universe he sourced sounds of the Universe from an Australian astrophysicist Paul Francis, and Giancarlo was the sound engineer for the performance while simultaneously playing live.
His ear hears sounds beyond my ability – and so I knew he would make a great sound engineer for the podcasts.
In visual terms – he has had sculpture shown as far afield as Brighton and Wolverhampton. He created a wonderful artwork of a Meadow Brown butterfly for Fair Acre Press’ first book Shropshire Butterflies.
When I asked Gian to tell me about his cover art for the Poetry on Spiders ebook cover art he said
I thought that an electronic image would suit an electronic book so I used a painting and drawing app on my tablet to create it. These apps are particularly good using airbrush techniques, and also being able to zoom in to draw detail is a big plus. I wanted to make the Spider ‘eye friendly’ rather then repellent and hope I have succeeded.
the Poetry on Spiders ebook is part of the Maligned Species project
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