Arko

You’ve certainly seen Arko’s work across the site already, from Boileryard doors to a former guardhouse. The Charlotte native revels in the variety of objects he’s been able to paint at Camp North End: “From clean steel, old wood, to rusted equipment parts,” he says, “Camp’s variety of surfaces and objects to work with give me a chance to test and play with different approaches to apply my work.”

Even as a singular project, the Boileryard’s stage contains an array of surfaces. “The stage backdrop was a metal door with dings, divots, and bolts throughout, but was relatively uniform and easy to spray and brush paint on,” he says. “The wooden bay door has a lot more movement that I had [accounted for], and I ended up adding to the structure to help smooth out … and make easier to paint. It pleased me to see them bring out old bits of equipment to be used as play structures and surfaces for the public, because it aligns with my idea of recycling and rebuilding in my own personal work.”

On a broader scale, when asked how his practice has changed since he first started painting at Camp North End, Arko offers this: “The practice has changed because they have such a large campus!”

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