Curatorial Narrative Ex-Elant Brand Produce Label by Anonymous presents itself as an enigmatic relic from the mid-century era, its Art Deco style wedded to a distinctly American aesthetic. Created sometime between 1930 and 1950, this artwork partakes in the visual zeitgeist of its time, while also exhibiting a nascent modernity that predates the full flowering of Mid-Century Modernism. The artist’s decision to employ a print-like technique belies the label’s status as an original work, existing at the juncture between commercial design and high art. When enlarged to 71×44 inches, the artwork assumes a commanding presence, its palette of blue, red, yellow, and white coalescing into a chromatic structure that evokes the atmospheric weight of a clear summer sky. The spatial rhythm established by the composition’s symmetries and diagonals generates a sense of forward momentum, drawing the viewer’s eye through the label’s carefully cal