La Pompe à essence 

Curator: Fernand Léger’s, *La Pompe à essence* a watercolor painting, presents a fascinating, abstracted view of an urban landscape. My initial response is of bold simplicity. The strong geometric shapes give it a very structured yet almost playful appearance. Editor: Yes, the interplay of these rudimentary geometric forms is indeed intriguing, wouldn’t you agree? Considering Léger’s engagement with the Cubist movement, it is apparent here how materials of industrialized design have influenced his work, as everything is essentially rendered as a variation of cylinders and blocks. Curator: Exactly. Léger was profoundly interested in the aesthetics of the machine age, wasn't he? He saw the potential for beauty and order in industrial forms. The city as a constructed environment also served as a theme representing movement and modernity during the Interwar Period, reflecting the avant-garde. It shows how consumerism was growing within France's culture in terms of motorcars. Editor: And that’s reflected so wonderfully here. In terms of materiality and process, I find myself considering what kind of paper Léger chose, and what kind of pigments were available, to make colors as intense as this, even despite their dilution through the usage of the watercolor technique. Curator: Good point, how do you think his material choices influenced the overall visual impression? Editor: I think they heighten the feeling of a dynamic and new cityscape, where everything’s almost pulsating with modernity—through an exploration of shape and form which has a material grounding at its core. It evokes a feeling of optimism for what these industrial developments might suggest. Curator: I agree. By stripping the landscape down to its basic shapes and strong colors, he almost created an ode to modern life. Léger presents an urbanity in constant progression. It offers us a glimpse into a world transformed by industry and technology, captured through Léger's unique artistic sensibility and worldview. Editor: Looking at the surface again and again I just love seeing his vision materialize. The work really prompts you to see an ever-changing urban world.