“Joë Alex was part of the Revue Nègre troupe which had made such a big smash in Paris in 1925, the year before Colin created this poster for him. Many of those performers went back to America, but many others stayed in Europe and launched successful careers on their own; one of them was Alex. A stunning dancer from the nightclubs of Harlem, he became a choreographer and an integral part of many successful black American revues in Paris, including Florence Mills’ Blackbirds of 1926, Louis Douglas’ 1936 troupe, and the Cotton Club Revue of 1937. Much of the compelling quality of this 3-color poster (blue, brown, and black) comes from Colin’s fine sense of composition: by using strong, almost geometric lines to frame what could have been just another profile, Colin has turned the performer—and the poster—into a most engaging subject” (Colin, p. 7). This printing is without the bottom text panel with Alex’s name.
Imp. H. Chachoin, Paris (not shown)
literature: Colin, 15; Colin Affichiste, 65; PAI-L, 214 (all var)