Cafés tés a los Mandarines 1927

Editor: This poster by Jean d'Ylen, titled "Cafés tés a los Mandarines," dates from 1927. It's... definitely eye-catching, in an odd way. It strikes me as playful, but with slightly unsettling colonial undertones. What do you make of it? Curator: This image functions as advertisement and relies heavily on exoticism. How do the materials of production and their subsequent circulation speak to the consumption it encourages? It suggests the global networks required to deliver these goods – coffee and tea – to the consumer. What do you notice about the packaging? Editor: The bags are huge, like sacks! The surface design seems deliberately patterned and textural; a bold statement from what appears to be ordinary consumer goods elevated through high-end production value to grab your attention. Curator: Precisely. Consider the targeted consumer. Who is this poster meant to entice? Editor: Well, “A Los Mandarines” implies the intended consumers were wealthy; this exotic presentation maybe says something about their privilege, using coded language about power structures, while simultaneously flattening them into stereotypes... Curator: The artist here clearly engages the concept of orientalism by creating an identity through commodity and marketing practices, suggesting a relationship between materials, social class, and identity construction. Notice the mandarin’s robe itself, meticulously rendered to indicate quality and therefore a connection to "high" culture through materials. Editor: It makes me reconsider how seemingly innocent commercial imagery can reinforce broader ideas around labor and access. This makes the poster far more than just a picture trying to sell coffee. Curator: Exactly! By exploring production methods and historical contexts related to materiality, the artwork functions beyond a surface-level representation to revealing consumerism's pervasive influence and effect.