Breakfast - Fernand Léger
The Legendary Léger
allegedly taking the cream
from cakes Picasso baked.
His own, machine turned,
milled, moulded pressed or rolled,
were streamlined into curves.
He took the sharp edged things of life,
smoothing them into lozenge shapes,
and turning his back on cream.
From some industrial furnace
rivers of long, black, molten hair
stark against the light.
Breakfast coincides
with his white period,
finds echoes of a lab':
technicians (robots), cylinders,
flasks, bottles, jars -
reflections unexpected
as those on petri plates -
all part of his dynamic world
of curvilinear shapes.
The image as prompt was provided by
Willow at
The Mag
21 comments:
i could def see the scientific shapes....and wondered at that considering the title....wonder if it was just because of the way he was seeing things at the time....curvilinear, is that a real word? either way its cool...
A very creative take on the picture, Dave.
A fascinating new perspective. Thanks Dave.
Molten hair and curvilinear shapes of lab technicians is a brilliant interpretation...
Cubism and scientific shapes in abstracts. You've gathered substantial background info on this accomplished artist! Great tribute Dave!
Hank
Whenever you write about a piece of art I always see the art in a whole new way. Seeing the art thru the lens of your words.
I admire anyone who takes "the sharp edged things of life" and makes them into art. I also enjoy reading poetry that does the same things with words: taking the solid concepts of science and smoothing them out until the can be nibbled and enjoyed ;-)
Very creative Dave.
Anna :o]
Aahhh, now the lines and curves make perfect sense!
Hadn't seen Leger like that before, but you are right, Dave! So, illuminating, as is so often the case.
Modern, when that was a modern word!
Creamy-streamlining
Aloha from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral
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Thanks for taking this piece of reality and making it even more real and alive for me, Poet- Smith !
Yes, a clean lined lab works well for this experiment in shapes and stark meets molten hair.
Brian
Basically he was portraying an industrial world from the shapes he found in machinery and the geometric forms behind them: cylinders, cones, spheres, cogs, chains, pistons and their shiny surfaces. Along with these he developed block-like figures. I have always had a fancy, though, that durng his white period his canvases resembled laboritories more than factories. Just my whimsey though, I'm afraid.
Mary
Thanks, much appreciated.
The Elephant's Child
Good to hear you thought that. Thanks.
Jinksy
Thanks Jinksy. Much appreciated.
Hank
I've always had a fascination for his work. I'm inclined to think he was/is undervalued.
Carl
Thanks Carl. Sometimes in the writing I come to see a new angle also.
Magaly
Hi, a warm welcome to you. Thank you very much for taking the trouble to comment. Your thoughts are very much valued.
Helen
Thank yo so much for these kind words.
Jenny
As always you do me more than justice, but many thanks.
Cloudia
Wow, what a good question! Shall have to look it up!
Kutamun
Hi, Good to have you visitng and many thanks for your comment. Your thoughts are much appreciated.
She Writes
Hi, good to have you aboard and to hear your thoughts on the post. Thanks for making the trip.
So THAT'S what Leger has been trying to say all this time!!!
Facinating :)
You really are a craftsman as well as an artist at this poetry lark. Competent and grown-up. This strikes me each time I read something here.
abstract art is always fun, even better when someone can explain it to me, the first stanza is amazing, love how you drew me in
Hi Dave - thanks for this. Doesn't Leger also work more in blues and greys - I don't really like this white period so much - it is like a lab - so antiseptic - and a bit too obviously experimental - I, at least, find less empathy than Picasso or Braques - or less emotion.
Thanks for the hair - I had not focused on that. I knew it wasn't really a muffler, but I hadn't actually figured out what it was, but I sort of just used the image as a jumping off point as it was not one of my favorites.
Yours is very well done and a wonderful explanation. k.
This is really interesting and quite from the artistic view point......I loved this.....
Excellent, intelligent write, Dave.
Ygraine
Quite possibly, yes! But then again...
aprille
Thank you very much for your kind words. They are much appreciated.
Christine
Thanks. So glad you liked it. Good to hear from you.
manicddaily
I think Leger's whire period was quite a short one. There are far more works in blues and greys, you are quite right.
sreeja
Hi, a warm welcome to you. Thanks for the comment. Good to know you liked it.
Tess
Thanks Tess.
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