Nicolas Gavino – Exclusive Interview (Kitsuné Hot Stream)
“Trained at graphic design and drawing, Nicolas starts a first-person piece of art in black and white and it’s been three years now. In between records and fiction, his pictures also have an auto-biographic part. Rooted inside the everyday life, he is mainly focused on two themes: the lost of the sacred and the parallelism between eroticism and death. Those subjects are often qualified as “temps morts” (dead times). Hairs, abandoned bodies, curtains, screens… A reduced universe, tragic and fragile.”
Do you remember the first picture (illustration) you’ve ever taken (made)? What was it?
Yes, the first picture I’ve ever taken was of a friend, reading and lying on her bed. There was a lot of clothes around her, ready to be folded. It was 4 years ago I think.
Does music inspire your work?
Most of the time yes, mainly the repetitive music, or just sounds usually. Currently, I find the ‘ASMR’ trend fascinating. Check it out on YouTube, it’s people who are only whispering, playing with sounds to make you feel relaxed and safe, almost like a cerebral climax. This sound trend is very revealing of the era.
If your art was a song, what would it be? Why?
I don’t know. Something contemplative and a little bit dark. Maybe a track from Aphex Twin, like ‘Blue Calx’
If you could shoot/draw one artist for its album cover, who would it be? Why?
The album cover of Philip Glass or Gregorio Allegri. Illustrating ‘La Misere’ would have been such a powerful experience. In fact, all the questions dealing with holy matters fascinate me.
Is there a song on Kitsuné Hot Stream you think would have been great for you to depict?
The atmosphere of ‘KIKI – Tentacles (feat. Jadele)’ speaks to me. It reminds me a fun time when we were listening to Minimal in underground basements.
Now that you have linked your pictures (illustrations) with music, what other art would you like to explore?
Video. I made my first movie ‘Phone Memory’, with my phone texts. I think I’m going to pursue this path for now. With some of my friends we theorized the concept of “Touch death”. We think that physical contact is slowly fading away before ultimately disappearing. I believe that it’s a very important matter to represent.