Rain Gianneschi Visual Artist, Musician, Teacher, Gardener, Thinker, Activist, Mother, Wife, Sister, Daughter, Lover, Friend.
Artist's Website: praingianneschiart.com , View more work Here, and Here
ARTIST BIO
RAIN was born and raised in Chicago, and is an artist working across Poetics.
In her multimedia work, whether music or visual art, the intersection of social justice and spirituality is a thread that runs through all the disciplines of her work. As a teaching artist with students, from the classroom to the stage at the Art Institute of Chicago, she weaves a pedagogy with the same threads of spirituality and social justice.
Her paintings, prints and drawings going back over 35+ years represent an artistic practice rich in ideas, content, creativity and authenticity. RAIN is currently a founding member of the art collective: MOTHER ART: REVISITED
Educated in the Arts at University of California, Berkeley. RAIN holds two degrees from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, a Master’s in Art Education, and a Master of Fine Arts. She has served as a teaching artist for the Chicago Public Schools for 22 years, and as adjunct faculty in Art Education at The School of the Art institute of Chicago.
RECENT EXHIBITIONS: New York, Chicago, London, Edinburgh, Athens, Mexico City, Prague & Slovakia.
Rain Solo show opens 2021 in London.
Rain Artist Residency Carmon Spain 2019 Painting in the HEAT!
ARTIST STATEMENT
As a multi-media artist using paint, words, and music as a portal for imagination and spirit, I am involved with the process of Becoming and Creating. Secret messages are hidden in the textures and shapes of my work. My desire is to bring the viewer into a space to become open to the forces of imagination and spirit. I believe Art can transform us and take us to a new awareness, create new sensations, and form. For me, the act of painting is an act of spiritual practice. I enter the painting with body and mind, searching for the images as I wander through the canvas, or pick up a pen, or my guitar, or sit down and touch the keys on my piano. I am an artist.
In the newer work, I begin to un-paint the paintings, creating work that is more minimal, and monochromatic. I begin adding texture, using collaged papers and hidden text to the work. These secret messages, these hidden words, parallel the silencing of our histories. In my desire to elicit a response from the viewer, I employ the basic compositional elements of narrative, in abstraction, inviting the viewer to breath in color, image and texture, and to form their own narrative. I am multi-media artist. I am a painter, musician, poet, writer, & performance artist.
I am interested in the process, the process of Becoming, the process of Creating.
Photos from Left to Right: Rain at work in her Wicker Park Studio. Rain at work on the “OxBow Sunset Series” in Evergreen Studio Wicker Park. Rain at Highland Park Art Center Exhibition with her 1987 work: "Lady In The Red Beret"1987 oil on canvas.
Favorite Working Tools
I use a variety of strange tools in my multimedia work. I have favorite paint brushes, and several tools to adhere paper to canvas that I employ to aid in the flattening out of the paper, no air bubble.
My favorite burnishing tool for printmaking is my strange wooden paddle that I bought at an antique market in Saugatuck a few summers ago when I was taking a printmaking class at OxBow. I also love my Japanese bamboo burnisher and an old wooden darning tool for darning socks, also found at the antique mart in Saugatuck.
Photos from Left to Right: Antique darning tool used as a burnisher in printmaking. Japanese Bamboo burnisher top.
My relationship with the South Haven Arts Center is really tied to 25 + year relationship with OxBow. I would visit the Art Center each time I visited Oxbow to study or to teach a class.
Recently my brother, who has been an avid collector of my work, purchased a 20 acre farm in Covert, not far from South Haven. I will be building a summer studio there and he suggested I become a member this summer. So I did!
I am hoping to begin a new relationship with you at the Art Center, perhaps offer class some summer, when I am not traveling. Thank you for the opportunity to get to know you all on a more personal level. You have a wonderful community to work with in South Haven.
FALLEN
fallen angel
fallen woman
fallen nation
fallen world
fallen leader
fallen spirit
fallen bridges
fallen mountains
fallen trees
fallen branches
fallen leaves
fallen columns
fallen walls
fallen fences
fallen houses
fallen humanity
fallen steeples
fallen crosses
fallen heroes
fallen spheres
fallen rain
FALLEN 2017. Mixed Media oil on canvas, 72 in X 60 in. Contact artist for pricing.
CARMONA
Rose colored light scorched by the summer sun of southern Spain
The wilted sunflowers in the fields now brown and weathered from the dry heat
Their seeds are brown with withered petals, no golden flowers to inspire us
Leaving us wishing we had been here a month ago when fields were green
Rains did fall upon this dry brown earth, and brought forth the fruits of the fields
Life is slower here, revolving like the earth, around the sun
When she shines her bold screaming yellow face down upon us
We seek the shelter in the shade, anywhere we can find it
Early to rise before she begins her scorching heat
Like busy ants the people scurry to the markets, greet their neighbors
Make their way on foot around the ancient city
When the sun is highest, hottest, the windows are shuddered, the siesta begins
A big meal midday, and then a restful nap, until the light begins to lessen
Life resumes again and stores re open around the hours of 6 or 7
But no one here eats as we do, at 8 pm sharp we march like lemmings to the food
Relieved and rested, we seek water and wine, fish and fowl, pig and cow
Olives, and fruits abundant and fresh
We eat and chatter, and share our thoughts as the night falls upon this jewel with its massive stone gate guarding the citizens
7000 Years mankind has settled here in the golden hills of Carmona
Our dinner has just begun
We wander the streets along white washed buildings
Shining brightly in the Spanish summer sun,
Reflecting the heat away from the city streets
Painted white in Moorish times to alleviate the scorching summer heat
Small narrow streets, shaded by buildings close together
Keeping the citizens cool as they find their way around the ancient city
We stand before the Grand Gate of Carmona, once a fortress
Strong and foreboding the majestic gate
It kept the marauders from entering within the city walls
In this ancient city there are three palaces, each a treasure of architecture
Purple and orange, white and gold
Red with the color of the earth’s clay
Here in the dry southern landscape of Southern Spain
CARMONA!! FEEL THE HEAT!! 2019. Oil on linen canvas, 36 in X 48 in. Gifted to the City of Carmona Cultural Center, Carmona, Spain.
AFTER FALLEN GOLD 2019, $3500. Mixed media, oil on canvas, 30 in X 30 in
AFTER FALLEN BLACK STORM 2019, $3500. Mixed media, oil on canvas, 30 in X 30 in.
OXBOW SUNSET SERIES 2014 Please refer to website for entire series in many mediums.
The series begins with this painting, painted on the meadow at OxBow in a painting class with James Cau. We were asked to paint at sunset and into the darkness with headlamps.
It was wonderful!
OxBow Sunset 2014, oil on canvas, NFS.
OXBOW SUNSET CHALKS 2016, paper & chalk, 30 in X 40 in.
RAIN Gianneschi is a South Haven Center for the Arts Artist Member. As a benefit of this membership level, we are proud to be featuring Artists Members on our blog. If you are an artist member and want to be featured, email us at info@southhavenarts.org. Want to be an artist member? See more information here: southhavenarts.org/artist-membership