Mural, mural or composition, or abstract composition 

Curator: We are looking at Fernand Léger’s mixed-media textile, "Mural, mural or composition, or abstract composition" from the Musée National Fernand Léger. It’s undated, but likely from his later period. What are your first impressions? Editor: It feels like visual jazz! The contrasting colors and sharp geometric shapes give it a playful, almost musical rhythm. There's also a feeling of balance here despite the asymmetry. Curator: Indeed! It is intriguing that Léger created a "mural" using textile. It compels us to consider craft production’s role and accessibility within the artistic sphere. Notice how he elevates the materials typically associated with craft, transforming them into a composition that suggests industrial modernity. Editor: I’m drawn to how the basic shapes seem to evoke familiar things without actually representing them directly. Is he playing with a symbolic language, creating modern icons of daily life through abstraction? It also seems deeply optimistic in its tone, reflective of a post-war energy. Curator: It’s a potent reading. Thinking materially, the use of textile in contrast to say paint transforms the work to domestic spaces. One may even infer the symbolic intent of integrating it with the rhythms and processes of domestic life. Editor: Perhaps he's suggesting the modern world permeates everything, from the factory to the home, unified by these simplified forms and bold colors. I wonder what meaning people at the time would have found in these combinations of forms. Curator: Right. These forms possess distinct shapes and can stand on their own, yet also contribute to the artwork's complete makeup. What do we gain from the dialogue Léger orchestrates between the abstract and the real, between “high art” and textile? Editor: Reflecting upon these layered signs definitely encourages you to make connections. It's almost as if Léger is inviting us to complete the narrative, bringing our own personal and cultural memories into conversation with his symbolic framework. Curator: This is where Léger shines, pushing us to rethink the potential of everyday materials to become elevated, even monumental. Editor: Ultimately, this interaction prompts us to recognize the ever changing role of common images.