A bearded whirling dervish splashes paint, moving his body rhythmically to the music of Blackberry Smoke as dozens of onlookers snap photos and take cell phone videos of his art.
The man behind the motion is Randy Leo Frechette, a.k.a. Frenchy, a New Orleans-based performance painter known for his on-set interpretive art.
This weekend, he’s been chosen to paint several musicians at BamaJam, including the Disco Biscuits, Zac Brown Band and fellow New Orleans residents the Dirty Dozen Brass Band.
“I’ve been painting bands on location for about 20 years, and I got invited by BamaJam to work here for the weekend,” said Frenchy, 40. “I started off the festival with my homeboys, Dirty Dozen, did the Zac Brown Band (Thursday night), and everybody kept telling me about Blackberry, so here I am. They play some good southern rock.”
Frenchy doesn’t limit himself to concerts and festivals, though.
He also paints sporting events, currently serving as the team artist of the New Orleans Saints.
Still, music remains one of his passions. Through the years, he has developed a unique art style he calls “acoustioptics.”
“I try to keep time with the musicians and mimic their music notes with my brush strokes,” he said. “I try to translate the sound to the color. I call it acoustioptics, the relationship between sound waves and color waves and how your brain perceives it. It’s a science I’ve been working on for years.”
It’s a science that relies heavily upon the music of artists like Blackberry Smoke.
“It’s all about the music, man – country, bluegrass, funk, punk, hip-hop, you name it,” he said.
Frenchy will paint Buddy Guy, Kenny Chesney and Greg Allman on Saturday.
To see examples of his work, visit www.frenchylive.com.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement