East Coast native (Jamestown, NY), John Calabrese grew up in a small town surrounded by his Sicilian family. Jamestown had a unique history in that the migration patterns in the early 1900's saw an influx of Swedes and later Italians. Possibly the scramble for jobs and who knows what else led to a decades-long rivalry between the two groups to become part of the town's legend.
The strength and attributes of both cultures which influenced his worldview when mixed together bring about a harmony that continues to be seen in his artwork and sense of design. The comfort and vibrancy of Italian style honed with the simplicity of the more austere Scandinavian design sensibility strikes a balance in his work.
After leaving Western New York, having graduated with a B.A. in theatre/dance, John made his way through Montreal, Philadelphia, and eventually New York City where as he says, "Even Ma Bell changed my name to Giancarlo". It was in NYC while pursuing a performance career he realized a deep need to explore visual arts. Attending classes at the New York School of Visual Arts revealed a measurable vein of talent.
However, as it often does, life intervened diverting his attention to the healing arts where in Los Angeles a doctorate degree of Chiropractic was attained, bringing him to practice healing arts in San Francisco under his clinic name, Finespine Chiropractic Center. Throughout the years of private practice his creativity was kept alive with home design and gifts of his personal art for friends.
Starting in 2003 a shift away from health care began taking place allowing for the freedom to pursue graphic arts and web design. What is represented on the graphic design page are works done since 2013. The websites he has created and built since 2008 have come and gone, some staying while others were left behind in the quickly shifting sands of business and personal endeavors.