L’ARAIGNÉE VERTE 1938

Fernand Léger made L’ARAIGNÉE VERTE with paint and canvas, whenever it was, it really pops! Look at how he lays down these colors, flat and bold. He must have been thinking hard about the process of building a painting, the shapes, the balance, and the overall feel of it. I am drawn to the way Léger handles the paint. It’s not about hiding the brushstrokes or blending everything perfectly; it’s more about letting each color and form stand on its own. Notice the dark green and white splodge in the centre of the canvas, the way it is interrupted with spindly lines, it looks alive, like a strange plant or animal. Léger's work reminds me of other artists who were also pushing boundaries, maybe someone like Picabia. They both embrace ambiguity, suggesting multiple ideas rather than trying to pin things down with a single explanation. For Léger, it’s all about the ongoing conversation between shapes, colors, and forms.