A Tribute to Francesco De Gregori
Coloured pencil and ink pen
60 x 40 cm (23.6 x 15.7 inches)
“Cantautore” is an Italian term referring to a musician who writes and performs their own songs. In English, this concept can be translated as “singer-songwriter,” which literally means someone who both sings and writes songs.
A singer-songwriter writes their own songs instead of solely performing pieces written by others.
Francesco De Gregori is an Italian singer-songwriter, celebrated as one of the leading cantautori (plural of cantautore) of his generation.
The idea of representing an author through his words serves to highlight the illusion that one’s idol corresponds to the real person, upon whom we project admiration, love, envy, and expectations.
We often have the illusion of knowing the artists we love, but in fact, we only know a part of them, the part they have decided, more or less consciously, to show.
It is said to be disappointing to meet our idols, perhaps because the illusion of knowing them would vanish and we would have to confront the real person.
To pay tribute to Francesco De Gregori, often referred to as “il Principe” in Italian, meaning “the prince,” I chose 1090 words selected from his most iconic songs.