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Futurism was a 20th Century Art Movement . Although a nascent Futurism can be seen surfacing throughout the very early years of the twentieth century, the 1907 essay ''Entwurf einer neuen Ästhetik der Tonkunst'' (Sketch of a New Aesthetic of Music) by the Italian Composer Ferruccio Busoni is sometimes claimed as its true jumping-off point. Futurism was a largely Italian and Russia n movement although it also had adherents in other countries, England for example. The Futurists explored every medium of art, including Painting , Sculpture , Poetry , Theatre , Music , Architecture and even Gastronomy . The Italian poet Filippo Tommaso Marinetti was the first among them to produce a Manifesto of their artistic Philosophy in his '' Manifest Of Futurism '' ( 1909 ), first released in Milan and published in the French paper '' Le Figaro '' ( February 20 ). Marinetti summed up the major principles of the Futurists, including a passionate loathing of ideas from the past, especially political and artistic traditions. He and others also espoused a love of Speed , Technology and Violence . The car, the plane, the industrial town were all legendary for the Futurists, because they represented the technological triumph of man over Nature . Marinetti's impassioned polemic immediately attracted the support of the young Milanese Painter s — Boccioni , Carrà , and Russolo —who wanted to extend Marinetti's ideas to the Visual Arts (Russolo was also a composer, and introduced Futurist ideas into his compositions). The painters Balla and Severini met Marinetti in 1910 and together these artists represented Futurism's first phase. The Italian painter and sculptor Umberto Boccioni ( 1882 - 1916 ) wrote the ''Manifesto of Futurist Painters'' in 1910 in which he vowed: Futurists dubbed the love of the past "pastism", and its proponents "pastists" (''cf.'' Stuckism ). CUBO-FUTURISM poster by Mayakovsky.]] See Also: Russian Futurism Cubo-Futurism Cubo-Futurism was the main school of Russian Futurism which imbued influence of Cubism and developed in Russia in 1913. Like their Italian predecessors, the Russian Futurists — Velimir Khlebnikov , Aleksey Kruchenykh , Vladimir Mayakovsky , David Burlyuk — were fascinated with dynamism, speed, and restlessness of modern urban life. They purposely sought to arouse controversy and to attract publicity by repudiating static art of the past. The likes of Pushkin and Dostoevsky , according to them, should have been "heaved overboard from the steamship of modernity". They acknowledged no authorities whatsoever; even Marinetti , principles of whose manifesto they adopted earlier — when he arrived to Russia on a proselytizing visit in 1914 — was obstructed by most Russian Futurists who now did not profess to owe anything to him. In contrast to Marinetti's circle, Russian Futurism was a literary rather than artistic movement. Although many leading poets (Mayakovsky, Burlyuk) dabbled in painting, their interests were primarily literary. On the other hand, such well-established artists as Mikhail Larionov , Natalia Goncharova , and Kazimir Malevich found inspiration in the refreshing imagery of Futurist poems and experimented with versification themselves. The poets and painters attempted to collaborate on such innovative productions as the Futurist opera '' Victory Over The Sun '', with texts by Kruchenykh and sets contributed by Malevich. The movement began to waste away after the revolution of 1917. Many prominent members of the Russian Futurism emigrated abroad. Artists like Mayakovsky and Malevich become the prominent members of the Soviet establishment and Agitprop of the 1920s. Others like Khlebnikov were persecuted for their beliefs. FUTURISM IN MUSIC An important musical Futurist work is Arthur Honegger 's symphonic poem " Pacific 231 ". FUTURISM IN THE 1920S AND 1930S Many Italian Futurists instinctively supported the rise of fascism in Italy in the hope of modernizing the society and the economy of a country that was still torn between unfulfilled industrial revolution in the North and the rural, archaic South. Marinetti founded the ''Partito Politico Futurista'' (Futurist Political Party) in early 1918, which only a year later was absorbed into Benito Mussolini 's '' Fasci Di Combattimento '', making Marinetti one of the first supporters and members of the National Fascist Party . However, he opposed Fascism's later canonical exultation of existing institutions, calling them "reactionary." Nevertheless, he stayed a notable force in developing the party thought throughout the regime. Some Futurists' Aestheticization Of Violence and glorification of modern warfare as the ultimate artistic expression and their intense Nationalism also induced them to embrace fascism. Many Futurists became associated with the regime over the 1920s, which gave them both official recognition and the ability to carry out important works, especially in Architecture . However, some leftists that came to Futurism in the earlier years continued to oppose Marinetti's domination of the artistic and political direction of Futurism. Futurism expanded to encompass other artistic domains. In architecture, it was characterized by a distinctive thrust towards s, etc. See, for example, Trento 's railway station built by Angiolo Mazzoni . CULTURAL CONTEXT Society, Change and a New Age Futurist Artists were among the first to use modern life as a theme for their works. Futurist artists demanded social change, and denounced all kinds of utilitarian morals and ethics. The early 20th century also presented itself to be a boom period in technology, and communication. The world was changing as people and scientists discovered new phenomena, while inventors were creating new and wonderful creations, which wooed audiences around the world. The machine age was born and raring to go. Artifacts of the Machine Age include:
Futurists thrived on the impressions of speed, noise, and machines, communications and information that had become a large part of the nineteenth-century cities. They hated the untamed, middle-class merits and tastes and more importantly; they disliked the factions of the past, like the church and monarch. Futurists had very right wing ideology, and cussed at social trends like feminism, and they were stern advocates of violence and war. By the beginning of the 20th Century, Italy was still a relatively backward country, with half the population illiterate, and many living in poverty. The social landscape and political guise of the nation was also backward as old 19th century ways and customs were still widely employed. The Authoritarian church was still very much in power, and made sure that Italy would not assimilate into modern Europe. Marinetti was very much against all this antiquity, and wanted Italy to become a powerhouse in Europe, by setting new trends and becoming a cultural, social and economic Hub. These ideas are generated and re-enforced in Futurism. People started to think ‘outside the square’ as a new age of speed and rapid velocity was raging into history, and the Futurist movement, both hands clasped, was there to join the Ride Styles, Schools and Movements of Modern Art During the existence of Futurism many art styles, movements and schools were in operation which shaped and influenced Futurist artists. The creation and expansion of Modernism is the most influential movement on Futurism. Futurism is essentially a branch of Modernism. Modernist ideas started flowing in the mid to late 19th century. Like Futurism Modernism was based on the foundations, that traditional art and art practises were becoming outdated, and new forms of art were needed to compensate for the immanent change in social and technological order of the new age. Modernism took a new trend from 1910–1930. It was in time the Russian Revolution was in full swing and WWI was close to fairing up. It was these events which shaped Modernism to be a movement associated with disruption, rejection and almost radicalism. It was these ideas that were harnessed and embraced by Futurism, thus it was the Modernist world around Marinetti which shaped and guided his manifesto. Futurism was simply an arm of the new modernist age, but a more violent and politically motivated fraction. Around the time Futurism was invented, we also had the movement of Avant-garde artists who, little did they know it at the time, would inspire many artists and art movements. The Avant-garde artists are famous for experimenting, and discovering novel ideas about art theory and art practice. The avant-garde movement inspired the Futurist in two ways. Firstly it encouraged them and gave them the motivation to start their own art movements, and become the innovators themselves. In a time where movements and styles were all being exhibited in Paris, it was this one sidedness, which prompted the Italians to start movements of their very own. The avant-garde movement influenced Futurists on second level, because many Futurist Artists used the styles and techniques which were being discovered in Paris at the time. So their artworks were influenced by the avant-garde artists. Giacomo Balla pursued a divisionist method of painting influenced by neo-impressionism. Futurists also experimented with the depiction of sequential movement, influenced by the photographic studies of animal and human locomotion by Eadweard Muybridge. The other big movement to influence Futurists was Cubism. Cubism started out in 1907 just a few years before Futurism. It was the works of Picasso and Braque. In cubist artworks, objects are broken up, analyzed, and re-assembled in an abstracted form — instead of depicting objects from one viewpoint, the artist depicts the subject from a multitude of viewpoints to represent the subject in a greater context. These methods and techniques were not far of what Futurists employed and many argued that Futurism was just a extension of Cubism. Finally other art movement and schools which were in operation as the same time as Futurism, and influenced or influenced by Futurists include:
Politics and War and Turmoil The world of Futurism was nothing short of violent and highly controversial. It was riddled with politics, ideology and religion, as decidedly turbulent times were ahead. From World War One to the highly chaotic Italian political spectrum, Futurism was right there with it all, as its painters were both split and united on varying matters at hand. For a start Futurists were very pro-change and very nationalistic. During the First World War Italy was at a fluctuating stage, where by, new and powerful political organisations were coming to power and demanding revolt. These changes to the political spectrum did not go unnoticed by the futurists. Many Italian Futurists instinctively supported the rise of fascism in Italy in the hope of modernizing the society and the economy of a country that was still torn between unfulfilled industrial revolution in the North and the rural, archaic South. The ‘Futurist Political party’ was formed in early 1918, and in powered the artists to further start voicing their opinion and ideology. Politics grew further into the fabric of Futurism when the leader of the movement, Marinetti became wrapped up in fascism and developed a close friendship with one Benito Mussolini. Marinetti became one of the first supporters and members of the National Fascist Part. Fascism was a new concept at the time, and it seemed to tie in with the ideals of Futurism. Some Futurists' fetish with violence and glorification of modern warfare as the ultimate artistic expression and their intense nationalism also induced them to embrace fascism. Futurism also had left wing communist fractions. By now Futurists had expanded all over Europe, and these artists brought with them different views and ideas. Such fractions included Ardito-Futurist, communist-Futurist, independent-Futurist. These fractions stood firm against right wing nationalist element of the movement, and managed to survive, and instill their own beliefs. With WWI raging across Europe, Futurist members started demonstrating on the streets in 1914–1915. These demonstrations glorified war, and they put pressure on the government to join the War. There wish was granted and Italy joined the war in 1916. This War would lead to two prominent members being killed, Boccioni and Sant’Elia. Much of the movements spark and creativity was lost after the death of their comrades. In 1920’s with the end of War, and subsequent decline in Futurism, a strong rift began to emerge between the Fascists and futurists. Marinetti and the Futurists had strong ideals apposing state authority, and totalitarianism, while the Fascists were trying to instill national wide rule and autocracy. Their proposals against the church and the monarch had also been declined by the Mussolini led Fascists, who were by this stage in control of Italy. Through the late 20s, 30s and 40s the relationship between the two fractions was always fluctuating, with both conflicting interests and conversely unifying marches through Rome. A new movement was also at hand, as Apolitical Futurists started emerging. These Fractions were not only left wing, but were also very much against the Fascist era, and a second age of futurism was predicted. Eventually the fascists dropped ties with the Futurists, because of more political turmoil. World War II saw Mussolini’s regime team up with Nazi Germany, and the downfall of Italy came to hand, after their defeat at the hands of the allies. After the Second World War , fascism was directly linked to Nazism; thus, it gainined the status of evil all over the world. Once the War was over all such right wing extremists stances were banned. Thus the Futurists ties with Fascism saw Futurism gain a bad name, and with the awaking of a brand new republic of Italy, all of the ‘evils’ of the early 20th century, including futurism, was discarded and banished. The ‘death’ of futurism was a horrible process, and its end was multi-layered. The end of WWII and fascism, plus the hanging of Mussolini in 1945 brought the conclusion of politics for the futurists. The end of the machine age in 1945 also meant that a lot of their flair and ideas were finished. Finally the death of Marinetti himself in 1944, ended Futurism in Italy, and so an art movement with such a turbulent, controversial yet inspiring history had come to a halt, but it would prove be a benchmark and starting block for many other movements, schools and styles. THE LEGACY OF FUTURISM Vorticist movement, a movement heavily influenced by futurism.]] Futurism influenced many other twentieth century art movements, including Art Deco , Vorticism , Constructivism , Surrealism and Dada . Futurism as a coherent and organized artistic movement is now regarded as extinct, having died out in 1944 with the death of its leader Marinetti, and Futurism was, like Science Fiction , in part overtaken by 'the future'. Nonetheless the ideals of futurism remain as significant components of modern Western Culture ; the emphasis on youth, speed, power and technology finding expression in much of modern commercial cinema and culture. Ridley Scott consciously evoked the designs of Sant'Elia in '' Blade Runner ''. Echoes of Marinetti's thought, especially his "dreamt-of metallization of the human body", are still strongly prevalent in Japan ese culture, and surface in Manga / Anime and the works of artists such as Shinya Tsukamoto , director of the "''Tetsuo''" (lit. "Ironman") films. Futurism has produced several reactions, including the literary genre of Cyberpunk — in which technology was often treated with ambivalence — whilst artists who came to prominence during the first flush of the Internet , such as Stelarc , Natasha Vita-More and Mariko Mori , produce work which comments on futurist ideals. Natasha Vita-More also designed Primo Posthuman as the artistic futurists body design. A revival of sorts of the Futurist movement began in 1988 with the creation of the Neo-Futurist style of theatre in Chicago, which utilizes Futurism's focus on speed and brevity to create a new form of immediate theatre. Currently, there are active Neo-Futurist troupes in Chicago and New York . Another revival in the San Francisco area, perhaps best described as Post-Futurist, centers around the band Sleepytime Gorilla Museum , who took their name from a (possibly fictitious) Futurist press organization (described by founder John Kane as "the fastest museum alive") dating back to 1916. SGM's lyrics and (very in-depth) liner notes routinely quote and reference Marinetti and "The Futurist Manifesto," and juxtapose them with opposing views such as those presented in Industrial Society And Its Future (also known as the Unabomber Manifesto, attributed to Theodore Kaczynski ). PROMINENT FUTURIST ARTISTS
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