We’re launching a new section in AV Magazine to delve deep into the wonderful crafts of cinema. We interview Jordi Artigau, the fifth generation of the family that has preserved props from 1850 to the 1960s.

HISTORY OF CASA ARTIGAU

The business started over 100 years ago. His great-great-grandfather was a stagehand at the Liceo and at one point bought some weapons and began renting them out. His great-grandfather, who lived through Barcelona’s two international exhibitions, created a space where he stored objects people gave him. Later, the business became more professional through auctions, antique purchases, and collaboration with artisans. “There are very few people who have 6 generations operating and doing the same thing” -says Jordi Artigau, the current prop master of the house, who works alongside his son, Roc- “We have specialized in antique objects, we are great professionals of the 1900s, the modernist era”. In this Ali Baba’s cave, we can find everything from very large pieces to small things, like cigarette cases, eyepieces, watches, and tweezers; “ordinary objects that people might not give importance to; and in the end, it’s the small details that make the difference in an audiovisual production”.

PROP MASTER CRAFT

“Normally someone comes to place an order for a project – says Jordi- Sometimes an assistant comes, other times the set decorator or art director comes.” The service they offer is completely personalized. The client explains their need and the prop master adapts to have the piece that fits best. A decorator’s mission is to evoke a specific environment, but there’s a difference between what the client imagines and what they find. “There’s a moment when the distance between what was initially sought and what is finally decided shortens. A piece is sought and, while discussing the project’s needs, another object is found that turns out to be more suitable”. -explains Jordi. Their work is flexible, jumping from the client’s imagination to the reality of what they can offer, a service that becomes enjoyable and enriching for both parties.

What’s the best prop piece they have? The one that’s useful and meets the client’s expectations. “I could tell you I have a 17th-century dagger covered in precious stones, but if it doesn’t serve the project, it’s like a dirty rag; and maybe that’s why a dirty rag at that moment is the extraordinary piece” -assures Jordi. Prop masters see the importance of pieces that economically have no value, but that makes it possible for their craft in cinema to continue. For clients who have been working for 40 years as art directors or decorators, it’s very good to know that at Atrezzo Artigau, the same piece from half a century ago will still be there. “This security we can provide is the most valuable thing for our clients”.

AUDIOVISUAL PRODUCTIONS

Originally, the Artigau family comes from theater, although now they have few clients for this type of work. Currently, their main clients come from film and television. With over 40 years of experience in the craft, Jordi Artigau still remembers some of the most emblematic productions they’ve worked on. Exodus: Gods and Kings by Ridley Scott and Pan’s Labyrinth by Guillermo del Toro. For the latter, they provided kitchen utensils from the era, copper objects, and props specific to 1944 Spain. They have also collaborated with local productions in Barcelona, where they’ve met needs to find very specific props like glass syringes, paintings, candelabras, and vases.

PANORAMA OF THE FILM INDUSTRY

Thanks to the advent of the internet, communication with clients has become easier, and the Artigaus can work remotely with the team of the series La Peste, who are in Andalusia. “However, one of the problems we have is that the audiovisual industry has become very centralized in this country” -says Jordi Artigau- “20 years ago, we were a powerhouse in advertising firstly, then in cinema and television, when the Spanish television production center was created where The Three Musketeers and The Rius Saga were made. Now the big companies in the sector are looking for headquarters in Madrid, like Netflix. There are things that are good to have a production center for, for ease of organization, but the creativity and talent that comes from oneself can never be centralized.”

“Spain needs to enhance plurality, so that emerging talents can come from Murcia, the Basque Country, Asturias, Catalonia, or any autonomous community and find open doors all over the world”.

 

Below you’ll find the video of the interview. Hit play to delve into the secrets of Casa Artigau!