Frivolous Futurism

Since I can remember, Futurism has been the art movement which has intrigued me most. The Futurists may not have been integral in the development of artistic culture, but their wacky ideas and bizarre attitudes to life and social order never fail to lure me in. Whether you agree or not, here is a brief summary of the movement.

How were they formed and what was their ethos?

The Futurist movement was founded by Filippo Thomaso Marinetti in Milan. In 1909 Marinetti published the Futurist manifesto which, unbeknown to most, played a big part in the political formation of Italy (as I will later discuss). The principal artists who took part in the movement included, Umberto Boccioni, Carlo Carra, Giacomo Balla and Gino Severini, many of whom died in the war (eventually leading to the disbandment of the movement in 1914).

At the time of the movement's formation, the industrial revolution was charging full speed ahead, (particularly in Italy; in the UK it began much earlier- Prince Albert's Great Exhibition had taken place almost 60 years before). Trains and automobiles were becoming very fashionable and people were fascinated with seeing anything that could move faster than a horse. Initially, Futurist art consisted of bold, block colours, used to convey various emotive states. As the movement progressed however, their work became more abstracted as the art attempted to convey speed, movement and military progress within a single time frame.

Futurism was designed to shock; everything the Futurists did was in order to create a response from the public. It was also their aim to incorporate all of the human senses into their traditions, in order to create a 4-D sense of the world and enhance the human experience. As most Italian's are, The Futurists were extremely passionate about their beliefs and as a result, formed some rather outlandish traditions.

Soldiers on and Armoured Train, Gino Severini, 1915

Political Ties:

It isn't well known that Marinetti was friends with Italian president of the time, Benito Mussolini. The two men had very similar ideals, so when Mussolini wrote the Fascist manifesto in 1919 he took many of his ideas from the Futurists. Marinetti played a direct part in the formation of Mussolini's manifesto. Towards the end of the Great War the Futurists revoked their support for the Fascist movement due to their over exertion of violence. The Futurist's believed in violence as a means of provoking impassioned reactions from men, but they did not believe in violence to the point of evil and death as the Fascists did.

Notable Works:

Unique forms of Continuity in Space, Umberto Boccioni, 1913

This bronze sculpture perfectly encapsulates Futurist ideals. It is possibly the most famous Futurist piece, not only due to it's appearance on the Italian 20 cent coin, but due to it's strikingly modern aesthetic. The sculpture creates a multi-faceted snap-shot of movement and represents the way in which muscles and limbs move through various positions as an action takes place. The fluid, diagonal lines indicate movement and speed; the movement of the figure symbolises progress in the modern world. Unique Forms also creates a contrast between the ancient world and the modern world by referencing the Ancient Greek sculpture, The Victory of the Samothrace; thus emphasising the progress of society since ancient times.

The City Rises, Umberto Boccioni, 1910

This powerful depiction of the horse represents antiquated industrial mechanisms. In the background we can see factories and modern industrialisation, contrasting with the image in the foreground. The power of the horse and the frantic dynamism of the scene represents the extreme exertion which was required for the old industrial methods to work successfully. The industrial plant in the background is sturdy and doesn't require the same amount of man power, therefore creating a much more efficient working environment.

Wacky Traditions and Ideas:

• At Futurist dinner parties, which were ideally organised to be held in a Futuristic style room (e.g. a spaceship) there were numerous strange goings on:

1. Guests had to wear all in one suits. Each suit had a different tactile element which guests were expected to touch and contemplate the various tactile sensations.

2. Waiters would dance around the tables between courses

3. The first course, a green salad, was to be eaten using just the mouth (no hands!). This was supposed to engage all of the senses, therefore heightening the eating experience

• Music- The Futurists invented their very own forms of musical instruments called the Intonarumori. Intonarumori were specifically designed to shock the auditory senses by contradicting the traditional aim of music (to sound nice); it was a musical revolution. Fortunately, none of these instruments exist today but there have been recreations of them made. You probably won't be surprised by their lack of success when you listen to the clip below

It was inventive, I'll give them that...

• Food- as you will have guessed by now, shocking the senses and turning 'norms' on their head were integral to Futurist practise, so I have one more nugget of madness to offer:

1. The Futurist recipe book was comprised of some truly revolting creations such as Mortadella with nougat, pineapples with sardines and a concoction of milk, grapes, honey and radishes illuminated by a green light. The only dish which sounds edible is called Italian tits in the sun. This dish is comprised of marzipan topped with a strawberry, sprinkled with black pepper and moulded into the shape of a woman's breast.

2. If that isn't strange enough, the following are some of their eating habits:

• They didn't eat pasta as they believed it caused lethargy.

• They did away with knives and forks.

• They didn't cook all of their food for eating, but simply to be experienced by the eyes and nose

• They would sometimes use perfumes to enhance the sensory eating experience.

Fun Facts:

• The British equivalent to Futurism is called Vorticism. The founder of Vorticism (Percy Wyndham Lewis) however, passionately despised the Futurists.

• The Santa Maria Novella train station in Florence is a Futurist building. It was featured in the famous car chase scene in the film, The Italian Job.