Lino Giovacchini LOVES his wood. Wood is everywhere in his studio - categorized, and measured and labelled. Lino can tell you the types of wood he has, its best uses, and stories about where it came from. I was told that I needed to visit Lino's studio to see his wood as well as the incredible organization of the studio itself. I wasn't disappointed. While first photographing his massive workshop, I saw the wood Lino had arranged along one wall. He also showed me boxes of wood scraps and small pieces that were leftovers from projects that may be used in something new down the road. I thought to myself, "This is a lot of wood, but is it really an unusual amount?"
Lino has collected this wood from a variety of sources, including dumpsters. I think it kind of shocked his conscience that people were sending perfectly good wood to landfills. Often people give him wood or call him when a tree falls down in the area. Friends and family sometimes give him a hard time about all the wood he has. Lino recounts a story where his neighbor teased him about why he needed so much wood. Not too much later, the neighbor sheepishly returned to Lino, asking for a very specific type and size of wood to repair a cabinet. Knowing Lino would never let him forget his earlier criticism, he asked, "How much is this going to cost me?" Given that I've heard this story several times from Lino and one or twice from Lino's friends, I think Lino's gotten his payback. After watching Mark Knize doing wood turnings, Lino bought a lathe and started making his beautiful bowls and vases. The preparations for these bowls is incredibly time-consuming, but it allows Lino to use a variety of his woods. His "Italian Vase" was purchased by the City of Tracy as part of the 2015 Expressions show. From my post in April, you know that Lino makes small-scale tractors. He's made about thirty of these tractors in the past forty years. He only makes replicas of tractors "with history" - meaning no rubber tires. Lino's won a number of awards and one of his tractors was purchased by the City of Tracy. The detail in these tractors is amazing. It takes time to see appreciate all of the little pieces and thought that went into their making. And, of course, now I know that Lino only uses spruce for the tractors because it holds its color.
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April 2022
AuthorTiffanie Heben is a photographer who has been inspired by the artists in her community |