A discussion with Master Printmaker JORDI ARKO (at Dinnerware Artspace)

Prof. Barbara Penn (left) standing with JordiArko (right) at Dinnerware Artspace

This afternoon, I stopped by Dinnerware Artspace in downtown Tucson to see a printmaking demonstration by Swedish Master Printer Jordi Arko, but I'd arrived before anyone showed up. So, I asked him a few questions about his artwork! Our brief discussion comprises the content of this interview.

Jordi is in town just for a few days as a guest of University of Arizona Art Professor Barbara Penn. (You can see some of Barbara's current work now on display at the Faculty Art Exhibit at the University Museum of Art)  Jordi is in the States for a semester, teaching at Bethany College (a small, private Lutheran College) in Lindsborg, Kansas.  Barbara invited Jordi to Tucson for a quick sharing of art and ideas.  I was lucky enough to catch him alone for a few moments.

Jordi Arko flipping through the 80 pages of his version of "Los Capriccios": only 4 copies were made!

The work that he's here to talk about is actually about 35 years old. It is a suite of 80 prints, made from etchings on copperplate. The text and storyline closely follows suite of prints by Spain's Francisco Goya called "Los Capriccios". Here's Goya's print titled "The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters", which comes from his "Capriccios" series:

Goya's "Sleep of Reason" print. An inspiration to Jordi Arko!

Arko's project back in the early 1970's was to recreate Goya's suite, using the same style, same text, same calligraphy style....except that Arko would be substituting his own images for Goya's. This was an exercise in free-association for Arko.

Arko's version of Goya's "No More, No Less" print

He would look at the title of each of Goya's prints in "Capriccios" series, and replace it with his own free-associated image. As he explained to me, he would read Goya's title, and then come up with his own unique image. Thus, he created his own version of the Capriccios, substituting Goya's images with his own. The result is very surreal and absurd, but you can immediately see the similarity in printing technique and quality.

Arko does Goya

It's a common exercise for musicians to show off their skills and competence by playing "standards". Standards provide a benchmark to measure the chops of a musician. Same thing with artists.  Jordi Arko provides a way of measuring his technical proficiency by creating his own version of one of Goya's masterworks. Be makes it easy for us to compare the two, since he's kept so much of his version of "Los Capriccios" consistent with Goya's original.  His printing technique is technically perfect; he's got Goya's even grey-tones, and scratchy drawing style down pat..although Arko's drawings tend to be more silly and cartoon-like.

Wikipedia describes Goya's "Capriccios" like this:

a medium for Goya's condemnation of the universal follies and foolishness in the Spanish society in which he lived.

But in Arko's version of the "Capriccios", he also takes on very contemporary themes that still resonate today, for instance, this illustration of police aggression:

a page in the follies of Mankind. Is this 1798? Or 1972? Or 2011? Yes...

Arko punched holes into the printing plate to create these white dots

Currently, Jordi Arko is experimenting with stop-motion animation using his iPhone. He's been working that way for the past month! It is brand new direction for him! I'm curious to see how this affects his printing. As I noted earlier, his work in this article is over 35 years old, but still it has interest for today's art students. Especially in a time when so much work is digital and inspired by fashion. Oh, the follies of Mankind!