“In this accelerated and complex life that pushes us and tears us apart, we should have the strength to slow down and keep ourselves calm, to work beyond the destabilizing elements that surround us, to conceive of life in its most gentle and specific sense”
-Fernand Leger
Léger wrote this quote in 1938, yet it still holds true; maybe even more so today. Slow down, stop and smell the roses, or at least sit down with friends and family, enjoy their company and a good meal! Before I had read this quote, Léger’s pieces, “Le Femme Et La Fleur” and “Marie L’Acrobate”, evoked a calming feeling for me. And as his career progressed, through the use of flatter colors and bold, black outlines Léger sought to strip the Cubist style he worked in previously, of its decorative aspects and simplify his work; which I think is what I find so attractive.
In this dining room, as a compliment to Léger’s work, I used eight Talavera Plates by Carlos Luna. Originally from Cuba, Carlos Luna was influenced by Picasso’s and Gris’ Cubism and Leger’s futurist embrace of the machine age. Like Léger, Luna portrays ordinary people and ordinary life experiences in his work. Two of these people represented in these plates include his Rooster-Man and his Guajiro-Man. For me, these artists’ works are the perfect grouping for a dining room, where we engage in these common activities; socializing, drinking, and dining. This is what living life is all about.
The dining chairs were upholstered in a grey-silver fabric, which complement the wall color, Dunn Edwards DE6374 Silver Polish and adding a simple white table cloth makes for an elegant yet casual backdrop to the artwork. The French hand-forged wrought iron chandelier mimics the bold black outlines of Léger’s lithographs. To counter-balance Luna’s hand-made ceramic plates, I added a vintage Georgian style sterling silver tea set with beautiful, delicate, bright cut decoration.
