Julius Tobias

Julius Tobias is best known for his monumental sculptures and paintings. He began his studies at the American Art School and, after serving in World War II, continued his education at Atelier Fernand Léger from 1949-1952. His time there instilled in him a deep sense of art history and of Léger’s particular politically charged humanism. The most important lesson he learned from Léger was contained in the older artist’s mantra that “ça droit être monumentale!” (It should be monumental!). This feeling would drive much of Tobias’ work throughout his career. His series of wall-sized white paintings, executed in the late 1960s, transitioned into his sculptural work of the 1970s, in which concrete, steel, or wood created contained and often stubborn environments for the viewer to navigate. Tobias filled and sometimes even barricaded galleries with vast sculptural materials, and eventually moved into outdoor spaces in order to work on a more monumental scale.

Submitted by Hollis Taggart