Alexandra
Tsiknia
Tara
Philipps
Complit
60AC
30
November 2016
Futurism and Movement
Futurism was an artistic and social
movement born in Italy in the early 20th century and a by-product of
the modernist movement (“Futurism”). It is thought that the publishing of The Founding and Manifesto of Futurism
by poet Filippo Tommaso Marinetti in 1909 marked the beginning of the movement
(“What is Futurism”). Futurism developed first in Italy and then spread to other
countries such as Russia and England (“What is Futurism”). It was a
multi-faceted movement and expressed ideas about art, architecture, politics
and society in general (“What is Futurism”).
The main inspiration for futurism was
modern age and the technological advances that came with it, such as the airplane
and the train (“What is Futurism”). Futurism viewed industrialization
and the development of machinery as man’s triumph over nature (“What is Futurism”).
The movement embraced modernity and all its features including speed,
technology, noise, pollution, color, machines and the force of the city (“What is Futurism”). Much like modernism, futurism questioned
the status quo as well as any moral and ideological limits set by its
predecessors (“Futurism”). Futurism however pushed a little
further; it rejected anything that was not a product of the present, including older
forms of art as well as previous social and political ideologies (“Futurism”;
“What is Futurism”). It declared war on everything old, because according to
the movement, only by ridding society of the old could there possibly be space
for creative triumph (“The Founding and Manifesto of Futurism”). Futurists’
main aim was to provoke the audience, and to embrace of modernity (Willette). This
wish to push the boundaries of taste succeeded: the public uproar at futurist
exhibitions and performances were so intense that the authorities were asked to
intervene sometimes (Willette).
The
main element evident in futurist art was dynamism and strong movement
(Willette). Inspired by the movement of the airplane and the train as well as speed
and light, futurists created works of art where movement was broken down into a
blur of consecutive actions to indicate speed (Willette). Most art pieces
demonstrated fragmented forms and colors (Willette), which blended together to
indicate dynamic movement. One of the most famed products of futurism was
“Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash” by Giacomo Balla (Lubbock). The artist
emphasizes movement through the painting of multiple legs on both the dog and
its walker, as well as multiple leashes (Lubbock).
 |
Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash – Giacomo Balla
|
Another great example is “The City Rises” by Umberto Boccioni. Here we see the workers of a city trying to tame a wild horse (Cogswell). The painting is drawn in a way that the viewer does not get a snapshot of a certain moment in time (Cogswell). Instead, the blurred outlines and brush strokes capture the movement of the workers and the horse and thus depict the force and speed of the scene. It is not a static depiction, but rather a depiction of an ever-changing and moving scene.
 |
| The City Rises - Umberto Boccioni |
Futurism’s wish to push boundaries and question the status quo is reminiscent of the way in which the modernist authors we have studied have also challenged the limits of literature and have changed the way we think of the novel. Another interesting parallel is the strong emphasis on movement, which is evident both in futurist works such as the ones above, but also in some of the literary works we have studied. For example, throughout The 42nd Parallel, Dos Passos describes the constant movement of the characters from one place to the next in their attempt to fulfill their aspirations. He also switches between stories multiple times in the novel, thus switching between locations. This constant movement gives the novel an element of fluidity and blurs the linear temporality of the story. Similarly, Zora Neale Hurston in Their Eyes Were Watching God shows the movement of Janie from one place to the next, with every location indicating a new chapter in her life. Perhaps this constant movement represents the constant development and change of the industrialized world and symbolizes the move away from the old and towards the new.
Discussion Questions:
1. Futurism places special emphasis
on dynamic movement. What about the movement present in some of the works we
have read is fundamentally modernist?
2. What are some other ways in which
the authors we have studied portray movement in their work?
Works
Cited
Cogswell,
Helen D. "Umberto Boccioni - The City Rises - Distorted." Distorted.
N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.
"Futurism."
Design Is History. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.
"What
is Futurism." Futurism - Styles & Movements - Art in the
Picture.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.
Lubbock,
Tom. "Great Works: Dynamism of A Dog on a Leash (1912) Giacomo
Balla." The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, 03
Sept. 2009. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.
"The
Founding and Manifesto of Futurism." Italian Futurism. N.p., n.d.
Web. 30 Nov. 2016.
Willette,
Jeanne. "Defining Futurism: Futurism as the Avant-Garde." Art History
Unstuffed. N.p., 08 Apr. 2011. Web. Nov.-Dec. 2011.
While it is clear from your post that Futurism and Modernism go hand in hand, I wonder what the difference between the two really is. Is there anything that the Futurists did that departed from Modernism? Why is there a distinction?
ReplyDeleteI'm similarly confused as to the boundary between Futurism and Modernism, but it's clear to see how innovative people continued to be. The painting with the dog with multiple legs was particularly interesting, as it captured the movement similar to the blur of the wings of a hummingbird.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of movement, fluidity, and instability is indeed a major theme in Futurism that corresponds to Modernism. As my two classmates raised the question of the difference between Futurism and Modernism, I believe Futurism is more specifically focused on a particular artistic vision, centered in Italy, while Modernism is a more general term.
ReplyDelete