Category Archives: Futurism

Futurism Magritte was given a futurist catalogue by Pierre Bourgeois shortly after they met at the Art Academy. By 1920 Magritte and ELT Mesens requested more information from the leader of futurism, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti.They received more of Marinetti's futurism pamphets. In factthere'sa draft for a letter to Marinetti in which Mesens thanks Marinetti for sending futurist pamphets.

Several of Magritte's early 1920s paintings reflect his interest in futurism:

Jeunesse- Rene Magritte 1924

While lecturing to students at the Muse Royal des Beaux-Arts in Antwerp in 1938, Magritte said of Futurism:

In a state of real intoxication, I painted a whole series of Futurist paintings. Yet, I dont believe the lyricism I wanted to capture had an unchanging center unrelated to aesthetic Futurism (Torczyner 214).

Gablik suggests "his Futurism was never orthodox, in that it was always combined with a certain eroticism, as in the picture Youth, where the diffused figure of a nude girl hovers over the image of a boat (Gablik 23).

Here's an article about futurism from History of Art:

In contrast with other early 20th-century avant-garde movements, the distinctive feature of Futurism was its intention to become involved in all aspects of modem life. Its aim was to effect a systematic change in society and, true to the movement's name, lead it towards new departures into the "future". Futurism was a direction rather than a style. Its encouragement of eccentric behaviour often prompted impetuous and sometimes violent attempts to stage imaginative situations in the hope of provoking reactions. The movement tried to liberate its adherents from the shackles of 19th-century' bourgeois conventionality and urged them to cross the boundaries of traditional artistic genres in order to claim a far more complete freedom of expression. Through a barrage of manifestos that dealt not only with various aspects of art, such as painting, sculpture, music, architecture, and design, but with society in general, the Futurists proclaimed the cult of modernity and the advent of a new form of artistic expression, and put an end to the art of the past. The entire classical tradition, especially that of Italy, was a prime target for attack, while the worlds of technology, mechanization, and speed were embraced as expressions of beauty and subjects worthy of the artist's interest.

Futurism, which started out as a literary movement, had its first manifesto (signed by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti) published in Le Figaro in 1909. It soon attracted a group of young Italian artists - Umberto Boccioni, Giacomo Balla (1871-1958), Carlo Carra (1881-1966), Luigi Russolo (1885-1947), and Gino Severini (1883-1966) - who collaborated in writing the "Technical Manifesto of Futurist Painting" and the "Manifesto of the Futurist Painters", both of which were published in 1910.

Danseuse bleue-Gino Severini

Despite being the sole Italian avant-garde movement. Futurism first came to light in Paris where the cosmopolitan atmosphere was ready to receive and promote it. Its development coincided with that of Cubism, and the similarities and differences in the philosophies of the two movements have often been discussed. Without doubt they shared a common cause in making a definitive break with the traditional, objective methods of representation. However, the static quality of Cubism is evident when compared with the dynamism of the Futurists, as are the monochrome or subdued colours of the former in contrast to the vibrant use of colour by the latter. The Cubists' rational form of experimentation, and intellectual approach to the artistic process, also contrasts with the Futurists' vociferous and emotive exhortations for the mutual involvement of art and life, with expressions of total art and provocative demonstrations in public. Cubists held an interest in the objective value of form, while Futurists relied on images and the strength of perception and memory in their particularly dynamic paintings. The Futurists believed that physical objects had a kind of personality and vitality of their own. revealed by "force-lines" - Boccioni referred to this as "physical transcendentalism". These characteristic lines helped to inform the psychology and emotions of the observer and influenced surrounding objects "not by reflections of light, but by a real concurrence of lines and real conflicts of planes" (catalogue for the Bernheim-Jeune exhibition, 1911). In this way, the painting could interact with the observer who, for the first time, would be looking "at the centre of the picture" rather than simply viewing the picture from the front. This method of looking at objects that was based on their inherent movement - and thereby capturing the vital moment of a phenomenon within its process of continual change - was partly influenced by a fascination with new technology and mechanization. Of equal importance, however, was the visual potential of the new-found but flourishing art of cinematography. Futurists felt strongly that pictorial sensations should be shouted, not murmured. This belief was reflected in their use of very flamboyant, dynamic colours, based on the model of Neo-Impressionist theories of the fragmentation of light. A favourite subject among Futurist artists was the feverish life of the metropolis: the crowds of people, the vibrant nocturnal life of the stations and dockyards, and the violent scenes of mass movement and emotion that tended to erupt suddenly. Some Futurists, such as Balla, chose themes with social connotations, following the anarchic Symbolist tradition of northern Italy and the humanitarian populism of Giovanni Cena.

The first period of Futurism was an analytical phase, involving the analysis of dynamics, the fragmentation of objects into complementary shades of colour, and the juxtaposition of winding, serpentine lines and perpendicular straight lines. Milan was the centre of Futurist activity, which was led by Boccioni and supported by Carra and Russolo. These three artists visited Paris together in 1911 as guests of Severini, who had settled there in 1906. During their stay, they formulated a new artistic-language, which culminated in works dealing with the "expansion of objects in space" and "states of mind" paintings. A second period, when the Futurists adopted a Cubistic idiom, was known as the synthetic phase, and lasted from 1913 to 1916.

At this time, Boccioni took up sculpture, developing his idea of "sculpture of the environment" which heralded the "spatial" sculpture of Moore, Archipenko, and the Constructivists. In Rome, Balla and Fortunato Depero (1892-1960) created "plastic complexes", constructions of dynamic, basic silhouettes in harsh, solid colours. The outbreak of World War I prompted many Futurist artists to enlist as volunteers. This willingness to serve was influenced by the movement's doctrine, which maintained that war was the world's most effective form of cleansing. Both Boccioni and the architect Antonio Sant'Elia, who had designed an imaginary Futurist city, were killed in the war and the movement was brought to a sudden end.

During the 1920s, some Futurists attempted to revive the movement and align it with other European avant-garde movements, under the label of "Mechanical Art". Its manifesto, published in 1922. showed much in common with Purism and Constructivism. Futurism also became associated with "aeropainting" a technique developed in 1929 by Balla, Benedetta, Dottori, Fillia, and other artists. This painting style served as an expression of a desire for the freedom of the imagination and of fantasy.

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Futurism - Matteson Art

CALL FOR PAPERS: Columbia Seminar in Modern Italian Studies Due: April 25

For those interested in presenting a paper at the Columbia Seminar in Modern Italian Studies, please submit an abstract of what you propose by April 25, 2016. The abstract should be no more than 300 words. In your email please also include a copy of your CV, and two suggestions for a respondent to your paper with their email information. Respondents should be within reasonable commuting distance to New York City.

Please note the following: seminar presenters are expected to have a completed PhD and be able to present their work and engage in dialogue in English; also, travel funding is limited and determined on a case by case basis; finally, attendees to the seminar come from a variety of fields within Italian Studies, so please calibrate your proposal for an audience beyond your particular area of specialization.

All materials should be emailed to modernitalianseminar@gmail.com.

For your information, the mission statement of the seminar is as follows:

This seminar is concerned with political, social, cultural, and religious aspects of Italian life from 1815 to the present. In recent years, the seminar has stressed an interdisciplinary approach to Italian studies, increasing the participation of anthropologists and scholars of art, film, and literature. The seminar generally meets on the second Friday of the month during the academic year to discuss a paper presented by a member or an invited speaker. Papers cover a wide range of topics, approaches, and methodologies.

Mar 28th 4:39pm No Comments

Belated congrats to Dan Hurlin and the Red Wing Performing group on their Jim Henson Foundation Grant for "Demolishing Everything with Amazing Speed"

"Demolishing Everything with Amazing Speed" is a collection of four plays, written specifically for the puppet stage by Italian Futurist painter Fortunato Depero in 1917. Penned by hand in Depero's notebooks, they have been translated into English for the first time and will receive their world premiere approximately 100 years after they were written, revealing startling similarities between our world and the culture of WWI. As the Futurists embraced the technology of their day (automobiles, airplanes, telephones, etc.) so this production will embrace the technology of ours with live feed, filmed and computer animated sequences, and 3-D printed puppets.

Timeline Photos

Feb 4th 6:46pm No Comments

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Italian Futurism Events, Exhibitions, Scholarship

An Italian avant-garde art movement that took speed, technology and modernity as its inspiration, Futurism portrayed the dynamic character of 20th century life, glorified war and the machine age, and favoured the growth of Fascism.

The movement was at its strongest from 1909, when Filippo Marinettis first manifesto of Futurism appeared, until the end of World War One. Futurism was unique in that it was a self-invented art movement.

The idea of Futurism came first, followed by a fanfare of publicity; it was only afterwards that artists could find a means to express it. Marinettis manifesto, printed on the front page of Le Figaro, was bombastic and inflammatory in tone set fire to the library shelves flood the museums suggesting that he was more interested in shocking the public than exploring Futurisms themes.

Painters in the movement did have a serious intent beyond Marinettis bombast, however. Their aim was to portray sensations as a synthesis of what one remembers and of what one sees, and to capture what they called the force lines of objects.

The futurists representation of forms in motion influenced many painters, including Marcel Duchamp and Robert Delaunay, and such movements as Cubism and Russian Constructivism.

Representative Artists: Filippo Tommaso Marinetti Giacomo Balla Umberto Boccioni Carlo Carr Gino Severini

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Futurism - Art Movements

An Italian poet named Emilio Filippo Tommaso (1876-1944) established Futurism in 1908. He envisioned a new society that would make a complete rupture with the present and the past even as the world underwent rapid changes in the new century. Tomasso imagined a perfect world, a utopia that included new art and literary forms. In essence, the new society would replace past social norms and offer something better for art and poetry. In his Futurist Manifesto in 1909, Tommaso elaborated more on the Futurist vision, including the Four Post-Modernizations.

Umberto Boccioni (1882-1916) created and embodied the Futurism painting form with his paintings The City Rises (1910) and States of Mind (1911-1912). The latter features red, blue, and white as the dominant colors and includes humans in motion and futuristic buildings under construction at the top of the canvas. The elements of Futurism are embedded in the complex composition. Many colors break up and come together to portray a man shown from behind. He looks like can pull the observer into the future. Boccioni also sculpted a bronze cast in 1913 called Unique Forms of Continuity in Space, which now resides in the Museum of Modern Art. This human figure also embodies motion, a central concept of Futurism.

The Dada artist and writer, Marcel Duchamp, was the brilliant organizer of the Dadaists and the author of the Dada Manifesto. He had a brilliant older brother whose sculptures exhibit the impact of Futurism. Raymond Duchamp-Villon (1876-1918) created the magnificent bronze sculpture which was both mechanical and unique. He chose the simple name The Horse (1914), understating the complexity of this three-dimensional form as a complex representation of how humanity is propelling itself into an uncertain future.

It is hard to believe sometimes that the Dadaists and the Futurists, including the Duchamp brothers were creating such revolutionary work only a couple years after Braque and Picasso introduced Cubism to the Paris art world in the midst of the First World War. Joseph Stella also reverberated the Futurist sense of rhythm and motion in his painting, Battle of Lights, Coney Island painting (1914). Some historians even argue that Futurism even impacted Picassos Synthetic Cubism.

Architecture gave a vision to the idea of a futuristic city. Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright built models of their visions for a futuristic metropolis. However, these elaborate plans were never built. Wrights plan is reminiscent of the city of the future one sees when riding the Mass Transit Authority through Walt Disney Worlds Space Mountain.

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Futurism | Arthistory.net

In Brief

North Carolina State University researchers have developed a wristwatch and chest patch that is capable of warning asthma patients when an attack is about to happen.

Asthmatics may be familiar with the certain types of activities or places they should avoid, but suffering from an acute asthma attack is still a possibility. This is why researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a wearable warning system capable of monitoring a patients environment and bodily functions, enabling the device to warn the patient of an imminent asthma attack.

The Health and Environmental Tracker (HET) has three components. The first is apatch that sticks directly onto the patients chest, tracking movement, heart and respiratory rates, as well as wheezing in the lungs. The second is awristwatch thatfocuses on tracking the patients environment such as humidity and temperature, but also has a body monitor capable of tracking the patients heart rate.

The HETs third component, called the spirometer, is not wearable unlike the first two. Patients breathe into this device several times each day to measure their lung function.Perhaps what sets HET apart from other similar body and environment monitoring devices is that its components are powered by the wearers movements and body heat. That means its power consumption levels are extremelw low.

The concept has already been successfully tested on a small number of human subjects. Over the next few months, the team at NC State plans to test the device in a controlled environment.

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New Wearable Device Can Predict Asthma Attacks - futurism.com

In Brief

Norway's parliament has set a national target to be carbon neutral by 2030, two decades earlier than planned.

Norways parliament has approved a radical goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2030, two decades earlier than planned. This is a bold pledge to reduce the nations net carbon footprint to zero over the next 14 years.

On the night of June 14, MPs voted for an accelerated program of CO2 cuts and carbon trading to offset emissions from sectors such as Norways oil and gas industries.

In line with its high-profile environmental agenda, the program is part of several public environmental protection moves that include the worlds first zero deforestation policy and a rumored ban on fossil fuel-based cars in the next decade.

This is a direct response to the commitments Norway took on by ratifying the Paris agreement and means that we will have to step up our climate action dramatically, says Rasmus Hansson, the leader of the Norwegian Green party.

However, several voices are casting doubt on the new program, saying that it will amount to nothing. The minority governments ruling Progress and Conservative parties withdrew their support for the motion at the last minute. They argued that ambitious emissions reductions now could interfere with future climate negotiations.

The Guardian reports that the wording of the parliamentary motion was left deliberately vague, when it says climate neutrality can be achieved through the EU emissions trading market, international cooperation on emissions reductions, emissions trading and project-based cooperation.

Norways climate minister also expressed doubt on the parliaments program, saying that the proposal from parliament focuses on carbon offsets and carbon trading, not reducing Norways own emissions.

This means that while the nation is currently responsible for 53 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions, calculations will balance that with environmental good works abroad, to achieve the carbon neutral label.

In fact, a Norwegian decision in January will increase fossil fuel production in some of the regions riskiest and most environmentally fragile areas. However, it argues that that move will increase natural gas production, which can reduce Europes reliance on coal.

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Norway Pledges to be Carbon Neutral by 2030 - futurism.com