Futurism was an artistic and social movement that emerged in Italy in the early 20th century. It emphasized dynamism, speed, technology, youth, violence, and objects such as the car, the airplane, and the industrial city. The Futurists admired speed, technology, youth and violence, the car, the airplane and the industrial city, all that represented the technological triumph of humanity over nature, and they were passionate nationalists. They repudiated the cult of the past and all imitation, praised originality, "however daring, however violent", bore proudly "the smear of madness", dismisse...
The Futurism Art Movement
Futurism was an artistic and social movement that emerged in Italy in the early 20th century. It emphasized dynamism, speed, technology, youth, violence, and objects such as the car, the airplane, and the industrial city. The Futurists admired speed, technology, youth and violence, the car, the airplane and the industrial city, all that represented the technological triumph of humanity over nature, and they were passionate nationalists. They repudiated the cult of the past and all imitation, praised originality, "however daring, however violent", bore proudly "the smear of madness", dismissed art critics as useless, rebelled against harmony and good taste, swept away all the themes and subjects of all previous art, and gloried in science.
Origins
Futurism was founded in Milan in 1909 by the Italian poet Filippo Tommaso Marinetti. He launched the movement in his Manifesto of Futurism, which he published for the first time on 5 February 1909 in La gazzetta dell'Emilia, an article then reproduced in the French daily newspaper Le Figaro on Saturday 20 February 1909. He was soon joined by the painters Umberto Boccioni, Carlo Carrà, Giacomo Balla, Gino Severini and the composer Luigi Russolo.
Manifestos
Publishing manifestos was a feature of Futurism, and the Futurists (usually led or prompted by Marinetti) wrote them on many topics, including painting, architecture, music, literature, theatre, cinema, photography, religion, women, fashion and cuisine. In their manifestos, Futurists described their beliefs and appreciations of various methods. They also detailed their disdain for traditional Italian Renaissance works of art and their subjects.
Futurism in Art
The Futurist painters were the first to translate Marinetti's ideas into visual form. In 1910, Boccioni, Carrà, Balla, Severini, and Russolo published the Manifesto of the Futurist Painters, which proclaimed their desire to break with the past and instead express the dynamism of the modern world. They sought to capture movement in their paintings by using techniques such as simultaneity, multiple perspectives, and a fragmented brushstroke.
Futurism in Literature
In literature, Futurists aimed to break with traditional syntax and grammar, instead creating a new language that reflected the speed and energy of modern life. They used onomatopoeia, neologisms, and phonetic experimentation to create a sense of urgency and excitement in their writing.
Futurism in Music
In music, Futurists sought to break with traditional tonality and instead create a new form of sound that reflected the modern world. They used noise, dissonance, and mechanical sounds to create a sense of chaos and energy in their compositions.
Legacy
Futurism had a significant impact on the development of modern art, influencing movements such as Dada, Surrealism, and Constructivism. Its emphasis on speed, technology, and dynamism can still be seen in contemporary art today.