L'instant 1919

Curator: Here we have Joan Miró's "L'instant" created in 1919, a striking piece which combines painting with the visual language of posters. The geometric blocks of colour certainly create an impression. Editor: My initial reaction is a sense of playful yet controlled chaos. The composition, though fragmented, feels strangely harmonious. I’m particularly drawn to the contrasting textures, like that palm tree and the checkerboard on the top, so interesting, somehow… Curator: Indeed. Notice how Miró plays with planar relationships; each geometric shape vying for our attention. Semiotically, those overlapping forms challenge traditional perspective, forcing the viewer to actively decode the image. And it also feels as though it's an artwork using elements and principles from Art Nouveau to a very geometrical cubist approach. Editor: I agree. The image almost screams "modernity". Aviation is referenced right at the top, so clearly this poster aims at the culture of travel, change and adventure; furthermore, look at the title, which suggests spontaneity: capturing a moment! This makes me think of how new, cosmopolitan cultures embraced flitting between big cities in that era, such as Paris or Barcelona... the suggestion seems obvious. Curator: Very insightful! I also read that Paris and Barcelona, clearly included at the bottom, create an interesting structural tension and the poster as a whole uses words to communicate a very forward-thinking lifestyle that seems both calculated and unplanned. The tension created in those oppositions certainly generates an intriguing visual experience, no doubt… Editor: And considering how bold this poster's statements are, in regards to themes that run all the way through visual culture to our current day, one cannot avoid sensing how prophetic a depiction of modernity this work encapsulates, as if "L'Instant" had stopped to foresee what our collective present was to look like… Curator: Absolutely! When we closely look at its many visual aspects, the planes and semiotics certainly capture the modern sensibility in that transformative epoch, I very much agree. Editor: Well, looking closely has definitely added so many enriching layers to the experience of interpreting this seemingly straightforward poster design.