Cuisine and art are a manifestation of one’s culture. Over time, they have gained more significance in how they are represented on screen, drawing in appreciation from bigger crowds and redefining what it means to enjoy them.
Coffee is no different. From books written about it to television characters who set coffee trends, the love for coffee transcends borders, permeating into other forms of culture.
Let’s explore the role of pop culture in popularising coffee and how the beverage is portrayed across formats.
How Coffee Has Inspired Art
Coffee has been a part of art for centuries.
In Dutch painter Adriaen Van Ostade’s Dutch Coffee Shop (1650), Slovene artist Ivana Kobilca’s Kofetaria (1888), and English painter William Hogarth’s various works during the 1730s, you’ll observe how the people of that time interacted with coffee.
The manner in which coffee is used in art also extends beyond the mere depiction of coffee houses as the background in various art pieces. Artists even use coffee as material to bring to life their vivid imagination.
By using coffee as paint or ink, they’re able to render earthy tones and a unique texture to their art. This form of art even has its own name arfé, deriving from the words art and café.
To some, it may seem niche, but such artists enjoy the limelight with their works being featured in the press and museums. If you’re interested in learning more about them, you should look up the works of Ilona Zabolotna, Ekene Ngige, Aruna Harish, and Giulia Bernardelli, to name a few.
What’s more, much like we decorate our own spaces as an expression of ourselves, artists have taken to the street to paint a picture of their passion for coffee. These artworks include multiple coffee-related visuals, such as coffee cups, baristas, coffee beans, people enjoying coffee, and more.
In the cities of New York, Melbourne, and London, it is a wonder to walk past alleys filled with coffee street art.
Influencing Literature and Entertainment
Imagine where the careers of all those musicians would be without coffee houses posing as a platform for their talent. Or how authors would mirror society without introducing coffee as a symbol of privilege and accessibility.
Coffee is also referenced in music and literary texts.
Songs such as Bob Dylan’s One More Cup of Coffee, Frank Sinatra’s The Coffee Song, and Blur’s Coffee & TV may not be all about the beverage. But they weave the simplicity of enjoying a cup within universal themes that make these tracks resonate with thousands of people worldwide.
Its presence in these texts crafted for entertainment is a reflection of how important it is to society and how coffee makes a scene or a tune more meaningful.
Coffee, a Symbol of Comfort in Pop Culture
Avid fans of television shows like FRIENDS, Gilmore Girls, and The Office would agree - coffee is more than just a beverage. It is a medium that nurtures friendships and breathes life into the social life of youth.
Both Central Perk and Luke’s Diner have played an integral role in driving crowds to coffee shops in their own cities, eager to experience the relaxing atmosphere that their favourite characters experience.
It’s not just the repetitive scenes filmed in coffee shops that carry an aspirational value, but also seeing these characters enjoying numerous cups a day. This in itself is the power of a story. It’s no wonder that coffee consumers find themselves comforted by the idea of drinking coffee to their heart’s content.
When the figures on-screen talk endlessly about coffee, it’s not just a dialogue that moves the plot forward, it’s an invitation to the viewer to participate in this celebration of coffee. And you can best bet that the viewers are themselves reaching for their next cup of joe.
Coffee in its entirety will continue to shape creative expression for years to come. Every generation will bring to the forefront its own way of combining coffee with other forms of culture to emphasize how important it is to them.
As always, coffee remains an iconic symbol.