Futurism: Art that celebrates speed, machines, and the dynamism of the times

In the early 20th century, a new artistic movement was born in the European art world, praising the speed, technology, and energy of modern life. It was a movement called Futurism, whose key concepts were dynamism, speed, violence, and the beauty of machines. They rejected the past and aimed for the future, and tried to create a new era through art. Works expressing a sense of speed and dynamism were created in various fields, including painting, sculpture, architecture, literature, music, photography, and film. In this article, we will explain the characteristics and historical background of Futurism, representative artists and works, and the influence of Futurism in the present day. artgraph.jp sells posters that faithfully reproduce the masterpieces of Futurist masters in high-definition giclee prints. Why not decorate your room with the world of dynamism and speed depicted by the Futurists and feel the energy of the early 20th century?

What is Futurism? - The aesthetics of speed and the machine

Futurism is an art movement that originated in Italy in the early 20th century. The movement began in 1909 when Filippo Tommaso Marinetti published the "Futurist Manifesto." Futurists rejected the traditions of the past and praised the dynamism and energy of modern technology and urban life. They saw speed, machines, violence, and war as key concepts of a new beauty. Futurist artists worked in a variety of fields, including painting, sculpture, architecture, literature, music, photography, and film. They tried to express a sense of speed and dynamism through their respective media.

Some of the characteristics of futurism are:

• Representation of Speed: Futurist artists were obsessed with expressing speed in art. They used photographic techniques such as motion blur and multiple exposures, and by distorting the shapes of objects to create a sense of speed. Boccioni's "Only Forms of Continuity in Space" is a sculpture that breaks down the human body and expresses the dynamism of movement. Balla's "Speeding Automobile" is a painting that expresses the dynamism and energy of a speeding car through abstract shapes and colors.
• Aesthetics of the Machine: Futurists saw machines as a symbol of modern life and praised their beauty. They used machines such as cars, airplanes, and trains as motifs in their paintings and sculptures. They also drew inspiration from the shapes and functions of machines to create new designs. Santeria's "Dancer" is a sculpture that combines the dynamism of machines with the movement of the human body.
• Violence and War: Futurists saw violence and war as driving forces for social change. They saw war as a necessary evil to destroy old traditions and create a new era. However, critics say their glorification of violence contributed to the rise of Fascism. Severini's "Armored Train" is a painting that expresses the power and dynamism of war.

History of Futurism - From Italy to the World

Futurism began with the publication of Marinetti's "Futurist Manifesto" in 1909. This manifesto was published in the newspaper Le Figaro and caused a great sensation. In this manifesto, Marinetti rejected the art and culture of the past and glorified speed, machines, and violence. Futurism was originally an Italian movement, but it quickly spread to other European countries and became an international movement. Futurist artists were active in many countries, including Russia, Great Britain, and France. However, Futurism's glorification of violence became associated with the rise of Fascism, and the movement declined after World War II.

Futurist artists and their works

Futurism included many great artists, among which the most famous were Umberto Boccioni, Giacomo Balla and Gino Severini.

• Umberto Boccioni: Italian painter and sculptor. One of the leading figures of Futurism. He created works that expressed speed and dynamism of movement. His representative works include "Unique Forms of Continuity in Space" and "City Rising".
• Giacomo Balla: A painter from Italy. He created works expressing light and movement. His representative works include "Speeding Car" and "Street Lamp".
• Gino Severini: A painter from Italy. He created works expressing the dynamism and violence of war. His representative works include "Armored Train" and "The Plastic Dynamism of the Dancer."

Contemporary influence of Futurism

Futurism had a major impact on 20th century art. Various art movements, including abstract art, pop art, and kinetic art, were inspired by Futurism's dynamism and sense of speed. Futurist design philosophy also influenced automobile design and architecture. Futurism is a movement that affirms modern technology and urban life, and expresses its vision of the future through art. Its dynamism and energy continue to inspire us even today.

Futurist masterpieces on artgraph.jp

At artgraph.jp, you can find Boccioni, We sell posters that faithfully reproduce masterpieces by Futurist masters such as Ernest Giovanni and Severini in high-definition giclee prints. Why not decorate your room with the world of dynamism and speed depicted by the Futurists and feel the energy of 20th century art?

Find Futurist posters on artgraph.jp