Uricure 1910

Curator: Let’s turn our attention to Leonetto Cappiello’s 1910 poster, "Uricure". Editor: It's quite arresting, isn't it? The figure leaps out from that stark black background. It’s… exuberant, but something about the way it's made feels inherently unsettling to me. Curator: Unsettling? The imagery taps into the figure of Father Time, rejuvenated perhaps? Note the white beard, the nightcap transformed into something festive, almost playful. He holds aloft a small green box, presumably the "Uricure" medicine itself. Editor: Yes, the jubilant Santa Claus archetype with that long beard brandishing what he sells, it all boils down to the creation and dissemination of product and its materials – ink on paper, repeated impressions to flood public spaces with Uricure's message. Even the style itself, Art Nouveau, with its flowing lines, feels like an attempt to naturalize consumerism, to make it flow seamlessly into everyday life. Curator: A rather cynical interpretation, wouldn't you say? I see a vibrant commentary on aging, or perhaps a visual pun connecting illness with a promise of restored vitality. Look at how the red robe dominates, echoing blood and life force. The upward motion, emphasized by the swirling fabric, reinforces the feeling of overcoming ailments like "reumatismo, artritis, gota..." which are listed at the bottom of the poster. These are associated with older age. Editor: I can’t help but consider how Cappiello’s process mirrored the mass production he was advertising, and also to remark at the materials: affordable, replicable, destined for surfaces—street corners—that existed well outside the formal gallery space, or what are the cultural assumptions behind a figure used for commodification of a medicine product? Curator: Regardless, the poster cleverly appropriates familiar archetypes to convey a message. The use of caricature softens the serious subject matter, almost guaranteeing its message will stick in the mind of passersby. Editor: I'll concede that the strategic repurposing of imagery – the fast reproduction using relatively inexpensive materials is remarkable. Curator: In any case, the combination is effective in making an advertisement quite eye-catching, even by today’s standards. Editor: Perhaps it all hinges on one asking, what "sticks" and to whom does that serve.