Affiche voor de Eerste Moderne Internationale Tentoonstelling (EMIT) te Scheveningen 1923

Curator: This poster, “Affiche voor de Eerste Moderne Internationale Tentoonstelling (EMIT) te Scheveningen,” was created by Chris Lebeau in 1923. It's striking, the way the black ink dominates the visual space. It seems a blend of art nouveau with, well, a much bolder intention. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: The immediate thing that grabs me is the… the handmade quality. I see that it's a print, potentially a woodcut given those visible tool marks, but it also feels connected to textiles with the repeated patterns. Is it odd to describe it that way? Curator: Not at all. Lebeau’s training spanned graphic arts and textile design, so those processes would have informed his work here. Look at the stylized figures and lettering, and how the design is essentially carved. This brings the idea of labor, of physically making an image for mass consumption, to the forefront, wouldn’t you agree? Editor: Absolutely! Thinking about labor... How would this kind of poster production have impacted perceptions of art itself back then? Curator: Exactly the right question. Lebeau's poster challenges traditional art boundaries, where ‘high art’ and craft were more distinctly separated. By employing techniques often associated with craft and making a poster designed for a broad audience, Lebeau questions that established hierarchy, emphasizing the democratization of art and access to Modernism. It shifts art’s role within society, placing it within reach of those outside the bourgeois salons. See how typography is itself art, how patterns usually destined to adorn objects enter pictorial space? Editor: So, he’s really blurring the lines between "fine art" and its practical uses, not to mention challenging the elite control of artistic production. That's a really radical act, now that I'm thinking about it. Curator: It is indeed! Reflecting on the work that went into this poster brings a new dimension to appreciating the piece beyond just aesthetics. Editor: I hadn't thought about it so deeply, seeing the impact of materials and process, until now. Thank you for showing me all these facets.