Functions of an Image

Fernand Léger acted in accordance with the expectations of his era: like everything else, painting had to have a function. Painting should be able to reach many people.

For centuries, paintings made to be hung on a wall as decoration remained within the tradition of "easel painting," their beauty shared by only a few. Léger emphasized that the true function of painting was to reach many people and to convey the joy of life to them. He was not alone in this endeavor; his close friend Le Corbusier also pursued the joy of life. Both avoided the decorative and focused on the functional. Modern painting went hand-in-hand with the modern movement in architecture. Society would benefit from this.

Billboards, posters with vibrant colors across vast meadows always excited Léger. Today, he would probably be delighted to see billboards or the facades of tall buildings covered for promotional purposes. His goal was achieved in another era, thanks to completely different people. Painting now had the function Léger desired! This important text, shedding light on the theoretical dimension of modern painting, is being published for the first time in Turkish.
(From the Promotional Bulletin)