Deborah Kruger

Archivo Grafica Printmaking Studio in Mexico City welcomes me with open arms

One of my new artist friends is Ana Lopez-Montes who I met through the Art Lab virtual residency at PRPG.mx. She is also the studio manager for Archivo Gráfica, a printmaking studio that has been located in Roma, in downtown Mexico City, for the last 30 years.

To be honest, when Ana started to urge me to come, I felt rather intimidated and bewildered. I hadn’t done monotype printmaking since my 20s. However, the Universe has a way of placing opportunities in front of us and I decided to accept the invitation from that perspective.

When I arrived, Ana had already set up two plates and a work station for me. I looked at some of the other prints in the studio for inspiration and ideas. Ana taught me how to ink the plates and soon I was off and running. The Maestro of the studio, Felipe Cortés Reyes, cleaned the edges of the plate, and then Ana positioned the plate and the moistened paper and fed them through the press and back. For each print run, there was a magic moment when the paper was peeled back to reveal the new print.

Kruger working on a plate
Kruger working at table

Ana also helped me by cutting out birds from my screen-printed sheets and we inked them on the plates. In addition to playing with colors and swirling forms, the birds started to emerge. Some of them were shadow images and others had stronger colors. Some of these abstract prints would make beautiful NFT artwork.

By this time, my reluctance and intimidation had disappeared and I was busy creating two prints at a time, each more complex than the previous one. After three hours, I had printed 12 prints and felt like a new avenue for my artwork and images had opened up to me.

Felipe and Ana invited me back to print again in a larger format when I return to Mexico City.

I will start selling some limited editions of my prints later this spring. Stay tuned for more information and updates from my second visit to Archivo Gráfica.

Click on image to view full size

Maestro Felipe Cortes cleaning a plate
Maestro Felipe placing plate on press
Tools and Ink
Ana showing print right off the press
Prints on drying rack
Last and best print of the day
Artist drinking craft mescal
Maestro Felipe, Ana the studio manager and two artists
Two prints drying on rack
Closeup of work table

Resources:

Website for Ana Lopez-Montes: https://www.analopezmontes.com/

Article about Felipe Cortés: https://www.uv.mx/difusioncultural/general/pluritipia/

Article about Taller Archivo Gráfico: https://www.enlacejudio.com/2013/10/08/aniversario-de-archivo-grafico/

To reserve time at the Printmaking Studio contact Ana Lopez-Montes (trilingual): ana.lopezmontes@gmail.com