Biography of Fernand Leger, Forerunner of Pop Art

Biography of Fernand Leger, Forerunner of Pop Art Fernand Legà ©r, born Joseph Fernand Henri Là ©ger (February 4, 1881 – August 17, 1955), was a French artist, specializing in paintings, sculpture, and film. His innovative variants on cubism and figurative art led to him being regarded as a forerunner of the pop art movement. Fast Facts: Fernand Là ©ger Full Name: Joseph  Fernand  Henri  Là ©gerOccupation: Painter, sculptor, filmmakerBorn: February 4, 1881 in  Argentan, FranceDied: August 17, 1955 in  Gif-sur-Yvette, FranceSpouses: Jeanne-Augustine Lohy (m. 1919-1950), Nadia Khodossevitch  (m. 1952-1955)Key Accomplishments: Influenced by the industrial age and the two world wars, Fernand Leger developed a unique artistic outlook that preceded the developments and concerns of Pop Art. Early Life Fernand Legà ©r was born in Argentan, in the Normandy (then Lower Normandy) region of France. His father was a cattle farmer. Little is known about his early life until he began his schooling and professional career. Initially, Legà ©r did not train in the arts. At the age of sixteen, he began training as an architect. He finished his formal architectural training in 1899, and the following year, he moved to Paris. For about a year or two, he worked as an architectural draftsman, but in 1902, he shifted into the military. Legà ©r spent 1902 and 1903 in military service, based out of the city of Versailles. French expatriate artist Fernand Leger standing in front of his completed murals. John Gutmann / Getty Images After his military service ended, Legà ©r attempted to get more formal art training. He applied to the École des Beaux-Arts but was rejected. Instead, he enrolled at the School of Decorative Arts. Ultimately, he attended the École des Beaux-Arts in a non-enrolled capacity for three years while also studying at the Acadà ©mie Julian. It was not until the age of 25 that Legà ©r began working as an artist in earnest. In those early days, his work was in the mold of the impressionists; later in his life, he destroyed many of these early paintings. Developing His Art In 1909, Legà ©r moved to Montparnasse, an area of Paris known for being home to a wide array of creative artists, many of whom lived in poverty in order to pursue their art. While there, he met several other artists of the era. In 1910, he had his first exhibition, with his art displayed at the Salon dAutomne in the same room as that of Jean Metzinger and Henri Le Fauconnie. His most important painting at the time was Nudes in the Forest, which displayed his particular variation on cubism, dubbed â€Å"tubism† by art critic Louis Vauxcelles for its emphasis on cylindrical shapes. Sothebys employees pose for photographers with Fernand Legers Cubist masterpiece Etude pour La Femme Bleu, on April 21, 2008 in London, England. Cate Gillon / Getty Images Cubism was a relatively new movement at the time, and in 1911, Legà ©r was part of a group that displayed the development to the general public for the first time. The Salon des Indà ©pendants displayed together the work by painters identified as cubists: Jean Metzinger, Albert Gleizes, Henri Le Fauconnier, Robert Delaunay, and Fernand Là ©ger. In 1912, Legà ©r again exhibited work with the Indà ©pendants and was part of a group of artists dubbed the â€Å"Section d’Or†- the â€Å"Gold Section.† His works of this era mostly were in palettes of primary colors or green, black, and white. After the Great War Like many of his countrymen, Fernand Legà ©r served in World War I, then called the â€Å"Great War.† In 1914, he joined the army, and he spent the next two years serving at the Argonne. Although he was far from the studios and salons of Paris, he continued to make art. During his service, Legà ©r sketched the instruments of war that he was surrounded by, along with some of his fellow soldiers. He nearly died from a mustard gas attack in 1916, and during his recovery, he painted The Card Players, full of frightening, mechanized figures that reflected his horror of what he had seen in the war. His experiences in the war, which was the first massive war of the industrialized era, significantly influenced the next several years of his work. Referred to as his â€Å"mechanical† period, his work from the postwar years through the 1920s featured sleek, mechanical-looking shapes. As the world attempted to return to normalcy following the war, Legà ©r made similar attempts, returning to â€Å"normal† subject matter: mothers and children, landscapes, female figure drawings, etc. However, his works continued to have that mechanical, orderly look to them. Fernand Legers Builders with Aloe, is seen at the Post-War European Art Exhibition at Pushkin Museum, in Moscow, Russia, March 6, 2017.   Mikhail Svetlov / Getty Images It was during this time that Legà ©r also got married. In December 1919, he wed Jeanne-Augustine Lohy. The couple did not have any children over the course of their three-decade marriage. In many ways, his work fell under the umbrella of purism, an answer to cubism that focused on mathematical proportions and rationality, rather than intense emotions and impulses. Legà ©r also was fascinated by the dawn of filmmaking, and for a time, he even considered abandoning his visual art to pursue cinema. In 1924, he produced and directed the film Ballet Mà ©canique, a Dadaist art film consisting of images of women’s facial features, everyday activities, and ordinary objects. He also experimented with murals, which became the most abstract of his paintings. Later Career By the end of the 1920s, Fernand Legà ©r’s work had begun to evolve. Instead of sleek, cylindrical forms that evoked the machinery of industry and war alike, more organic influences- and irregular, lively shapes- took center stage. His figures took on more color and even some humor and playfulness. He began teaching more, starting a free school in 1924 along with Alexandra Exter and Marie Laurencin. Painter Fernand Leger sits among his works in his Left Bank studio in 1948, following a trip to New York.   Bettmann  /  Contributor In the 1930s, Legà ©r made his first trips to the United States, traveling to the major hubs of New York City and Chicago. His artwork was displayed for the first time in America in 1935 with an exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. A few years later, he was commissioned by American politician Nelson Rockefeller to decorate his personal apartment. During World War II, Legà ©r lived and worked in America, teaching at Yale University. His work from this era often juxtaposed organic or natural elements with industrial or mechanical imagery. He also found new inspiration for brightly colored paintings in the neon lights of New York, resulting in paintings that included bright stripes of color and starkly outlined figures. Legà ©r returned to France in 1945, after the war ended. There, he joined the Communist Party, although he was more of a humanist with socialist beliefs rather than a fervent, devoted Marxist. During this time, his paintings took a turn to depict more scenes of everyday life featuring the â€Å"common folk.† His work also became less abstract, emphasizing his stronger focus on ordinary people rather than the avant-garde world. French painter Fernand Leger straddeling a chair in front of an incomplete painting, holding paintbrushes, wearing a flannel plaid shirt and a striped tie, Venice 1950. Archivio Cameraphoto Epoche / Getty Images In 1950, his wife Jeanne-Augustine died, and he remarried in 1952 to French artist Nadia Khodassevitch. Legà ©r spent the next few years teaching in Switzerland and working on a variety of projects including stained glass windows, sculptures, mosaics, paintings, and even set and costume design. His final, unfinished project was a mosaic for the So Paulo Opera. Fernand Legà ©r died on August 17, 1955 at his home in France. As the first artist to focus on the industrial and machine age, creating images that reflected modern consumer society, he is considered a forerunner of pop art. Sources Buck, Robert T. et al.  Fernand Là ©ger. New York: Abbeville Publishers, 1982.â€Å"Fernand Là ©ger.† Guggenheim, https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/artist/fernand-leger.Nà ©ret, Gilles. F. Là ©ger. New York: BDD Illustrated Books, 1993.

6 Ways to Chemically Kill a Tree

6 Ways to Chemically Kill a Tree Homeowners usually welcome trees on their property. But some trees are invasive species that, over time, can take over a garden. Other trees may overwhelm your home, digging roots into the foundation or limiting access to light. Whatever the reason, if youre ready to kill a tree, youll need to review your options and make an informed choice about the best method for your situation. If youre concerned about chemicals or are removing a tree in an area where you grow fruits or vegetables, you might choose to physically remove the tree. If youre comfortable using chemical herbicide, however, a number of options are available. Chemical herbicides are effective and relatively low cost. On the other hand, they involve using potentially harmful substances in your own backyard. There are ways to mitigate the risk, but you might prefer to avoid chemicals altogether. In that case, you have two options for tree removal: cutting down or starving the tree. Cutting Down a Tree If youre removing a very large tree or are uncomfortable using a chainsaw, you can hire someone to take down your tree. Many people, however, simply cut down their own trees. Once the tree has been cut to a stump, youll need to grind the stump to the ground. Unfortunately, cutting and grinding might not be enough to kill your tree. In some cases, trees will continue to sprout from the stump. If this happens, youll need to systematically look for new sprouts and cut them down whenever they appear. By cutting the sprouts, you deny the roots the energy they need to continue to grow. If neither grinding the stump nor cutting sprouts is enough to kill your tree, youll have to dig down and painstakingly remove the roots from the soil. The notorious buckthorn bush/tree is an example of a species that can be killed only by completely removing the roots. Starving a Tree The bark of a tree is a system for transporting soil nutrients and moisture to the branches and leaves. With some trees, fully removing the bark around the circumference of the trees trunk will effectively starve it to death. This technique, called girdling, often is effective, but it isnt foolproof. In some cases, trees can bypass or jump the girdle. To get the best results, remove all layers of bark in a circle around the tree, cutting about 1.5 inches deep with a hatchet or ax. The girdle will need to be about 2 inches wide to kill a small tree and up to 8 inches wide for a large tree.   Chemically Killing a Tree Herbicides can kill trees and, properly applied, be safe for the environment. The most environmentally friendly options involve applying herbicide to a specific area of the tree. In some cases, however, the only viable option is to use herbicidal spray. There are five major types of herbicides, only some of which are rated for home or crop use.  Triclopyr amine and triclopyr ester are growth regulator-type herbicides, while  glyphosate and imazapyr kill plants by interfering with the synthesis of plant proteins. Aminopyralid is primarily effective on legumes  such as kudzu and may not be appropriate for your needs. Here are six ways to chemically kill a tree: Cut Surface Treatments: This technique involves creating a pathway through the bark so that herbicide can be introduced into the plants vascular tissue. Start by making a series of downward cuts around the circumference of the tree with an ax or hatchet, leaving the frill (cut section of bark) connected to the tree. Immediately apply the selected herbicide into the cuts. Avoid spring applications when sap flowing from the wound will prevent good absorption.Injection Treatments: Use specialized tree injection equipment to administer a specific amount of herbicide into the tree when the cut is made. Treatments are effective when injections are made every 2 to 6 inches around the tree. For best results, treat trees 1.5 inches or more in diameter at chest height. Injection is often handled by a tree removal company because it requires an investment in equipment.Stump Treatments: After  cutting a tree down, you can minimize the possibility of regrowth by immediately treating the freshly cut surface with herbicide to prevent sprouting. On larger trees, treat only the outer 2 to 3 inches, including the cambium layer, of the stump (the internal heartwood of the tree is already dead). For trees 3 inches or less in diameter, treat the entire cut surface.   Basal Bark Treatments: Apply herbicide to the lower 12 to 18 inches of the tree trunk (on the bark) from early spring to mid-fall. Some species can be treated during winter. Use herbicide spray mixed with oil until the bark is saturated. The low-volatile ester formulations are the only oil-soluble products registered for this use. This method is effective on trees of all sizes.Foliage Treatments: Foliar spraying is a common method of applying herbicides to brush up to 15 feet tall. Make applications from early summer to late September, depending on the choice of herbicide. Treatments are least effective during very hot weather and when trees are under severe water stress.Soil Treatments: Certain soil treatments applied evenly to the soil surface can move into the root zone of targeted plants after ample rainfall or overhead moisture. Banding (also called lacing or streaking) applies concentrated solution to the soil in a line or band spaced every 2 to 4 feet. You can use this type of application to kill large numbers of trees. Important Tips Before starting a tree removal project, learn how to use herbicides safely and legally. Herbicide treatments of roots or soil (or sprayed herbicides) can kill vegetation unintentionally. Call your local Cooperative Extension Service for detailed chemical information pertaining to chemical treatments. Youre responsible for the chemicals you use and their ultimate effects.When using frilling or cut stump methods of treatment, apply the herbicide immediately so that your tree doesnt have a chance to start healing itself and you can achieve maximum absorption.Plant roots can share vascular tissue through root grafting, which occurs primarily within the same species but can occur between plants within the same genus. Your herbicide can move from a treated tree to an untreated tree, killing or injuring it.Once the herbicide is released from a tree, it can be available for uptake by another. The serious consequence is that a treated tree may release herbicide back into the environment, injuring nearby trees and vegetation.Adding stains or dyes to the herbicide solution substantially increases applicator accuracy. Applicators use the dyes to monitor treated trees, so they ar e less likely to miss or respray targeted trees. Use of stains can also indicate personal exposure. Avoid applying herbicide in areas where it can injure other plants. Assume that tree roots extend a distance equal to the height of a tree in dry climates and equal to half the tree height in wetter environments.