Friday, August 17, 2012
a chat with...archivio gotico
today it's time to chat with Fabiola from archivio gotico. there are some beautiful garlands and postcards in oplà which she created - time to know her a bit more :)
Who's the creative mind behind archivio gotico?
The creative mind is basically me!
When did you start creating and how did you discover your passion?
Like many things, archiviogotico started by chance. I may have been grumbling at the traffic lights or gazing absent-mindedly at the computer monitor at work. Like many people, I have lots of ideas but rarely manage to put them into practice. I was probably – because I don’t really remember – thinking about vintage postcards and how nice it would be to make my own vintage sets based on a theme. I have a ‘theme’ mania, which started when I was a DJ in a local indie radio. I did themed programs with songs about any subject, from tea and toast to philosophy. There is also a bit of my childhood. My sister and I did a lot of drawing and messing about with paper because it was cheap and it offered a wide range of possibilities. My father worked in a printing factory and brought home a lot of scrap paper. We made our own comics and drew stories. They were all about pale girls, mansions, pavilions, boarding schools and treacherous events but they were often funny and had great characters. Archiviogotico probably started there.
Which are your favourite materials?
Definitely paper. Any kind. I’d like to use only recycled materials and one day I will manage to do that. I like finding old, yellowed paper in the office home supplies cupboard and I collect all the paper I can. In my town, it’s difficult to purchase good paper and there’s not much choice. I would have to purchase enormous quantities that I can’t afford. That teaches one to make use of what one has at hand.
How would you describe your creative process?
My creative process is always casual and a little chaotic, which is ok but a bit confusing. I have an idea and then starting looking through my box of paper cuttings and ephemera to see if I can find something that suits the theme I want to work on. I use a lot of vintage ephemera but never the originals. I scan the things I am interested in and touch them up with Photoshop. Then it’s time for printing, which I do on an ancient printer, and cutting. As far as postcards are concerned, I do a lot of research on copyright-free high resolution image databases. I’d like to do my own photos and am currently working on this.
Where does your inspiration come from?
My weird childhood, my sister, ghost stories, windy days, books I read and re-read (E.A. Poe, Neil Gaiman, Herman Melville, Dino Buzzati to name but a few) and also from songs. Many of my postcard sets are based on songs. One of my favourites sets ‘I Often Dream of Trains’ is from a Robyn Hitchcock song.
What is craft for you? A hobby? Your profession? And are you happy with your current situation or would you like to change something?
Archiviogotico is currently a hobby. I work full time and don’t really have much time to work on new things. I’d really really like to be less messy and more organised so I can find regular time to dedicate to archiviogotico so I’m not particularly happy with how things are at the moment. I would like to learn more about printing, paper and bookbinding instead of just improvising. There’s a lot of improvisation in archiviogotico.
How would you describe your style?
That’s a difficult question. Eclectic, mostly.
Do you participate in crafty markets/fairs or do you only sell online?
Only occasionally and when there’s a fair nearby. I prefer to sell online. Selling individual postcards is not the same as selling a whole set with a theme and an identity. And I like packaging my work prettily and I can’t do that at fairs!
Who's the creative mind behind archivio gotico?
The creative mind is basically me!
When did you start creating and how did you discover your passion?
Like many things, archiviogotico started by chance. I may have been grumbling at the traffic lights or gazing absent-mindedly at the computer monitor at work. Like many people, I have lots of ideas but rarely manage to put them into practice. I was probably – because I don’t really remember – thinking about vintage postcards and how nice it would be to make my own vintage sets based on a theme. I have a ‘theme’ mania, which started when I was a DJ in a local indie radio. I did themed programs with songs about any subject, from tea and toast to philosophy. There is also a bit of my childhood. My sister and I did a lot of drawing and messing about with paper because it was cheap and it offered a wide range of possibilities. My father worked in a printing factory and brought home a lot of scrap paper. We made our own comics and drew stories. They were all about pale girls, mansions, pavilions, boarding schools and treacherous events but they were often funny and had great characters. Archiviogotico probably started there.
Which are your favourite materials?
Definitely paper. Any kind. I’d like to use only recycled materials and one day I will manage to do that. I like finding old, yellowed paper in the office home supplies cupboard and I collect all the paper I can. In my town, it’s difficult to purchase good paper and there’s not much choice. I would have to purchase enormous quantities that I can’t afford. That teaches one to make use of what one has at hand.
How would you describe your creative process?
My creative process is always casual and a little chaotic, which is ok but a bit confusing. I have an idea and then starting looking through my box of paper cuttings and ephemera to see if I can find something that suits the theme I want to work on. I use a lot of vintage ephemera but never the originals. I scan the things I am interested in and touch them up with Photoshop. Then it’s time for printing, which I do on an ancient printer, and cutting. As far as postcards are concerned, I do a lot of research on copyright-free high resolution image databases. I’d like to do my own photos and am currently working on this.
Where does your inspiration come from?
My weird childhood, my sister, ghost stories, windy days, books I read and re-read (E.A. Poe, Neil Gaiman, Herman Melville, Dino Buzzati to name but a few) and also from songs. Many of my postcard sets are based on songs. One of my favourites sets ‘I Often Dream of Trains’ is from a Robyn Hitchcock song.
What is craft for you? A hobby? Your profession? And are you happy with your current situation or would you like to change something?
Archiviogotico is currently a hobby. I work full time and don’t really have much time to work on new things. I’d really really like to be less messy and more organised so I can find regular time to dedicate to archiviogotico so I’m not particularly happy with how things are at the moment. I would like to learn more about printing, paper and bookbinding instead of just improvising. There’s a lot of improvisation in archiviogotico.
How would you describe your style?
That’s a difficult question. Eclectic, mostly.
Do you participate in crafty markets/fairs or do you only sell online?
Only occasionally and when there’s a fair nearby. I prefer to sell online. Selling individual postcards is not the same as selling a whole set with a theme and an identity. And I like packaging my work prettily and I can’t do that at fairs!
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- Oplà Minishop
- Oplà is the next Minishop at Roodkapje, running from july 20th to sept 2nd. Oplà offers a selection of i(ndie)talian craft, to bring in Rotterdam a bunch of talented creative minds all the way from Italy!
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