Virtual Memories Show 613:
Frances Jetter
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“My work materializes and ends up in being through printmaking and sometimes in other forms, but it starts with the drawing, and if the drawing doesn’t work, it’s not going to be anything but decoration.”
Artist Frances Jetter joins the show to talk about her amazing new book, AMALGAM: An Immigrant, His Labor Union, and His American Family in Brooklyn (Fantagraphics Underground). We talk about how the book both expanded and narrowed in scope during its 12-year process, how her grandfather’s story bleeds out into American, Jewish and labor history, and how she integrated her trademark linocut prints with other media to create an unforgettable graphic narrative. We get into how the editorial illustration field changed over her career and why she moved toward artist’s books and narrative art, why “illustrator” isn’t a dirty word & why having her work out in the world is important, how we don’t always see the resonances of our work when we’re in the middle of it, how working with other materials and forms (like sculpture) rejuvenated her drawing, what she learned about storytelling in the making of AMALGAM, her family’s political background and her awakening, how students have changed over her 40+ years teaching at SVA, and more. Give it a listen! And go read AMALGAM!
“Even though I love so many memoirs, the idea of including it in my book was embarrassing to me.”
“There’s this dual situation I have, with always loving newsprint and not caring if it was garbage the next day, and having it out there, but I also love beautiful handmade Japanese paper.”
“If somebody is making what they want and with excitement and with real care, that’s what’s going to matter.”
Enjoy the conversation! Then check out the archives for more great episodes!
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About our Guest
Political and social subject matter have long been the focus of Frances Jetter‘s prints, artist’s books, and drawings. Her images have illustrated articles in publications including the New York Times, The Washington Post, TIME, The Nation, the Village Voice and The Progressive. She also illustrated books for the Franklin Library, ads for Audubon, and book jackets for major publishers. Her work has been exhibited in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Her prints are in the permanent collections of the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard, Detroit Institute of Arts, The New York Public Library, and Grinnell College Print and Drawing Study Room. She has taught at the School of Visual Arts since 1979.
Follow Frances on Instagram.
Credits: This episode’s music is Fella by Hal Mayforth, used with permission from the artist. The conversation was recorded at Frances’ home on a pair of Blue enCORE 200 microphones feeding into a Zoom PodTrak P4 digital recorder & interface. I recorded the intro and outro on a Heil PR-40 Dynamic Studio Recording Microphone feeding into a Zoom PodTrak P4. All processing and editing done in Adobe Audition CC. Photo of Frances by me. It’s on my instagram.