Tubisme is a term from the art world that carries two distinct meanings. On the one hand, it refers to a variant withincubism identified by art criticLouis Vauxcelles in1911, in which artists such asFernand Léger employed cylindrical, tubular, and spherical forms in vivid colors to suggest movement and dynamism. Meant as derision, the term was inspired by Léger's idiosyncratic version ofcubism, in which he emphasizedcylindrical shapes.[1] The style was developed by Léger in his paintings of 1909–1919, such asNudes in the Forest (1909–10) andSoldiers Playing Cards (1917).[2]
On the other hand, the term denotes a painting technique attributed toGeorges Mathieu, in which paint is applied directly from the tube onto the canvas.
Tubism as a variant of cubism is characterized by tubular and cylindrical structures rendered in bright colors. The style has a graphic quality, emphasizes geometry and dynamism, and introduced the aesthetics of mechanics, machines, and factories into modern art. The term was started in 1911 by Louis Vauxcelles, who mockingly described the early work of Fernand Léger. Léger himself later adopted the term to describe the work he developed afterWorld War I. Rather than a formal art movement, tubism is often seen as a predecessor ofPop art.[3]
French abstract painterGeorges Mathieu claimed authorship of the term tubism in a different sense, referring to the technique of applying paint directly from the tube onto the canvas. This method was his own invention and became associated with his practice.[4]
