Head constructor 1950

Fernand Léger made this piece, "Head Constructor", at an unknown date with unknown materials. The thick black lines he uses are so sure, aren’t they? It’s like Léger knew exactly where each one needed to go. I get the sense of looking at something planned and efficient. The textures in the face and background feel different somehow. There is a light graininess, which is really interesting when compared to the boldness of those black lines. Take a look at the nose, how it’s just two straight lines meeting at a right angle. That little detail reminds me that painting isn’t about perfect representation. It’s about finding new ways to see and construct the world. Léger was definitely part of an ongoing conversation, you can see echoes of Cubism here. I feel like this work speaks to so many things about modern art, the confidence, the reduction, and the construction of form. It’s a reminder that art is always changing and finding new languages to express itself.