New York 1944

Fernand Léger made this painting, New York, location and date unknown, with gouache on paper. It’s a riot of color blocks, a geometric dance using a primary palette that feels so typically Léger. He's not trying to trick you with any fancy blending or shading here; it’s all about bold, flat color, and that's what I like about it! The way Léger layers these shapes makes you feel like you're walking through a city, dodging buildings and catching glimpses of sky. But it's the physical making of the thing that grabs me. Look at how the paint sits on the paper - you can see the texture, the little imperfections where the gouache might have been applied a bit too thickly. In the centre, a grid of blue and white hovers. Look closely and you can see that each mark is a little different, imperfect, like a constellation of tiny gestures. That’s the kind of stuff that makes a painting come alive, it feels honest. Léger’s work always reminds me a bit of Stuart Davis - that same love for the everyday, for turning the ordinary into something monumental. Léger isn’t trying to give you all the answers. It’s up to you to wander around and find your own way through it.