Before I move on with the creation of other, more important, sections of this site I couldn't help but continue to dwell on the state of absinthe packaging.
Much has been said about Manet's "Le Bar aux Folies-Bergère" so I'm not going add much else--except for this:
After we're dismissed by the barmaid our eyes wander. We look about the scene, see the bottles, the fruit, the party going on in the background and, living over 100 years past this moment, nothing is all that familiar. Nothing, that is, except for the bottles of Bass Ale.
Now Bass claims the glory of having the first trademark in England. Huzzah! But more importantly they have the ability to claim a very distinctive product. And, for the most part, this can't be said about absinthe.
I bring this up only because I like to paint and draw absinthe and absinthe related scenes.
Here in the states we have only a few options for distinctive bottles: La Clandestine, Lucid, Le Tourment Vert, La Fee and the rest, while nicely bottled, don't stand out all that much (although the clear bottles will draw an eye because of the green liquid kept inside). If we expand our horizons to Europe, etc. we get a bigger selection of bottles to choose from. Some are clear with big red circles, others bear distinctive shapes, etc. etc. etc. Either way, we're still sorta stuck with a high element of anonymity. But having gone through the Absinthe Drinker's
"Absinthe in Art" gallery for a quick review I'm fine with that.
Absinthe, as it has appeared in art (read: not advertising), has never been a commercial thing. Bottles don't go randomly showing up with clear identification. There has been no eye catching "that's Oxygenee!" moment while viewing a Jean Béraud. Nor do you trip over a La Fee bottle while staring at a Bronstein. The exception to this rule would be still lifes including a bottle but on a whole, absinthe in art is a byproduct of something far greater than product placement. It is more often than not a companion for us during the highs and lows of the human condition.
From the depressed isolation of L'Absinthe to the lovers in Au Cafe an anonymous absinthe is there bearing witness to the drama. And we're not pulled out of the images reality by product placement. There is no "Ooh, that's Bass and I like beer" intrusive thought to pull us away from our humanity. There's nothing but a simple glass filled with a hazy liquid and a story unfolding all around it. And with that said, bottles need to shut up and get out of the way or, at the very least, stay on the top shelf where they belong.
