Developing his own deviation from Cubism, which art critic Louis Vauxcelles coined as Tubism in 1911, Fernand Leger’s simplified figures took on a cylindrical form as opposed to cubic or linear. Due to Leger’s populist inclinations his work is widely regarded as a predecessor to Pop Art. In 1917 Leger evolved his style into a rather mechanical interpretation of his subjects, a direct response to the technological advancements of the time. In the work pictured here one can observe that the mechanical figures, with faces that lack expression or humanism, are an analogy for identity having no place in current society. Fernand Leger was born on February 4th, 1881, in Argentan, France. Pictured here is Fernand Leger, Men in the City (Les hommes dans la ville), 1919, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York City, New York
Art Universal 