The bird and flower 1953

Fernand Léger made this enamel on ceramic piece called ‘The bird and flower’ in 1953. The colours are bright and pop-y, and the shapes are simple and clear, like a kid’s book, or maybe a cool sign you'd see in a park. The shine of the enamel gives it a slick, playful feel, and those black outlines are so bold, they flatten everything out. It's like he's saying, "Hey, this is a picture, not real life!" I like how the different sections are joined together, you can see the lines between them. There's a flower at the bottom, with these deep red berry shapes, and a bird right at the top, kind of hovering in the scene. Léger was all about celebrating everyday life, and you see that here. It reminds me of Stuart Davis, who also took ordinary things and made them into something exciting and new. It's like Léger is inviting us to look at the world with fresh eyes, to find the beauty in simple forms and colors.