PAUL COLIN (1891-1986) L'AGE DES PLASTIQUES. 62 1/2x45 3/4 inches, 159x116 cm. S.A. Courbet, Paris. Condition B+: repaired tears at edges affecting image; horizontal fold. Colin designed many posters promoting exhibitions. This previously unrecorded work advertises a show called "The Age of Plastic." The show was held at the headquarters of the chemical industry and, foreshadowing the line from the Graduate, was likely aimed at explaining the revolution that this new invention would bring to everybody's life. Although undated, the quasi-surrealist style suggests it was designed in the late 1930s, when many European poster designers began to explore a surrealist approach. The image of a giant hand emerging from the earth holding a piece of plastic (maybe Bakelite?) suggests the "organic" nature of plastic. The graphic is clear and bold and highlights Colin's talent as a draughtsman, as well as his ability to find a clever graphic solution to a difficult project.
