Futurism

Futurism originated in Italy during the early 20th Century because of a man called Filippo Tommaso Marinetti (1876-1944), who formed the Futurism Art Movement. Italy lacked many modern technology and was considered a representation of the past so in 1909 Marinetti launched futurism with his first publication ‘Futurist Manifesto’ which rebelled against the use of museums, libraries and even feminism. The movement covered painting, sculpting, graphic design, writing, music, clothing, interactive media etc

Sea=Dancer, Gino Severini, 1913

Futurism can be closely linked to Cubism, as the movement originated around about the same time as Futurism. Additionally Futurists took keen interest in Dynamism, looking into the work of photographer Étienne-Jules Marey whose chronophotographic work presented the movement in life.  Divisionism is included with Futurism due to the popular technique of light and colour dots formed into geometric shapes.

Other links to Futurism includes Precisioism, Rayonism and Vorticism. All movements with angular and linear like geometric features in the artwork.

Futurism merged art with politics as they believed that destruction of Italy how it was would allow the country to renew into a much more stronger Italy, this made Futurism more than just an art movement but also a social movement. So when the upcoming war came about, the Futurists were very supportive of it, most of

Enrico Prampolini, Portrait of Marinetti, 1925

the painters, including Boccioni were enlisted into World War 1.  Much of the artists inspirations come from poetry and they often help Futurism Evenings to share poetry and paintings.

There are many artists who are linked to Futurism including Gino Severini, Wyndham Lewis, Umberto Boccioni, Antonuo Sant’Elia, Bruno Munari, Luigi Russolo and Benedetta Cappa.