In Consumed: The Cult of Gocco

Posted by Rob Walker on October 21, 2007
Posted Under: Consumed,DIYism

Print Gocco: How the end of a product turned into a publicity event — and, maybe, a new beginning.

… Print Gocco is both better known and somehow cooler than it has ever been here. And this is almost certainly because in late 2005, the Riso Kagaku Corporation, now an international and largely digital business, announced that Gocco was dead…

Read the column at the NYT Magazine site.

Additional Links: Save Gocco!Shu-Ju Wang’s siteBlissenWurst Gallery Gocco showPaper SourceGocco at Poppytalk

Further diversion may be found at MKTG Tumblr, and the Consumed Facebook page.

Reader Comments

Rob, Thanks for spreading the Gocco love! :)

#1 
Written By Tricia McKellar on October 21st, 2007 @ 10:36 am

Nice to see Gocco getting a mention in the press!

The Gocco is alive & kicking here in Australia – our supplier, NEHOC, obtains supplies direct from Japan, & when I asked about the apparent discontinuation, was assured that purely related to a trade issue in the US, not worldwide. I tend to buy most of my supplies from a Japanese supplier anyway.

Just to comment on Gocco prints being indistinguishable from traditional screenprinting…the Gocco is notoriously indiosyncratic & you get a lot more print variations than you do with traditional screenprinting. Also, the ink is applied with even pressure, not forced through the mesh with a squeegee, & the resultant effect is somewhere between a screen print & a relief print…you get some beautiful textures coming through.

I also think buyers love Gocco prints because of their small format & the fact that the Gocco’s limitations inspire a lot of ingenuity from the artist.

Really enjoyed your article – thanks!

#2 
Written By Karena (Magic Jelly) on October 22nd, 2007 @ 5:01 am

Shu-Ju Wang Rocks!
Creating elegant books, prints and cards with skill, sensitivity and artistry,
she has taken this ‘toy’ to a new level.

Add my name to any petition to Riso Inc. to keep the Gocco alive.
I would buy one in a moment, if I could find one.
If there’s anything I can do, let me know,

Terrific article!
Cheers,
Alice

#3 
Written By Alice Simpson on October 22nd, 2007 @ 11:16 am

Hi Rob,

Thank you for a great write-up. I hope the Save Gocco movement will get more attention. Jill Blissen has just started the 3rd phase of the campaign (see her http://savegocco.com/save.html site for more information) . I just want to add that my remark about the ‘student body’ of my gocco classes in the earlier years being mostly older women in art school and serious crafter types was from what I was seeing in my classes, which was only one part of the gocco scene even back then. Thinking back to our interview, I should’ve added that there are/were other artists who had taught gocco for a long time, and they most likely have a different view of what is/was happening.

Thanks again for the wonderful article.

Shu-Ju

#4 
Written By Shu-Ju Wang on October 22nd, 2007 @ 2:47 pm

Aha! Now I know why you were asking about the Gocco :)

Great article, and I’m so happy you linked to Poppytalk – She’s a true Gocco fan! There are so many mediums that incorporate the Gocco, she covers them well on her blog.

We love our Print Gocco, it allows us plenty of flexibility, and we’ll continue to use it as long as we can!

-Nancy

#5 
Written By Nancy @ CircaCeramics on October 22nd, 2007 @ 5:47 pm

Great article!! Keep the love going for Gocco Products!

#6 
Written By Sophie on October 30th, 2007 @ 10:10 am
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