Machine elements 1920

Fernand Léger made 'Machine Elements' sometime in the early 20th Century using oil paint, and it feels like he was really thinking through the process of building an image. The painting is a jumble of forms, but it's that sense of everything being laid bare that I find so compelling. Léger isn’t hiding anything, he is using the medium to show its building blocks. The colours, mostly primaries, feel very deliberate, like he's constructing an argument. Look at that wheel, the way it’s divided into red and white segments, it’s not just a wheel, it’s a study in contrasts. There's a real physicality to this painting. The texture isn't super thick, but you can see the brushstrokes, the way he’s layered the paint to create these forms. The black lines are so strong, they're almost like scaffolding holding the whole thing together. It reminds me a bit of Stuart Davis, that same love of everyday objects transformed into something new and exciting. Art is like an ongoing conversation, and Léger is definitely part of that dialogue.