Futurism

Futurism was a movement which lived on publicity. It was an international movement perceived by an Italian designer, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti. The Futurists sought to capture the idea of modernity, in the aesthetic of speed, movement and industrial development.

In 1909 Marinetti founded the first Manifesto of Futurism. He saw futurism as a movement which embraces of the human activities. 

Le Figaro (The first Manifesto) – Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, 1909

 “Une assemblée tumultueuse” - Filippo Marinetti, 1919

Since Gutenberg’s invention of movable type, most graphic designs used a vigorous horizontal and vertical structure. Freed from the tradition layout, they animated their pages with a dynamic or non-linear composition.

Umberto Boccioni, Carlo Carrà, Luigi Russolo, Giacomo Balla, Gino Severini & Fortunato Depero where all popular Futurists. Several other Manifestos where followed on by these Futurists on paintings, music, photography, sculpture, architecture, cinema and even clothing.

Reconstruction of the Universe – Giacomo Balla & Fortunato Depero, 1915

New Futurist Theater Company poster -  Fortunato Depero, 1924

Fortunato Depero was amongst the artists who applied futurism to graphic and advertising design. He produced a dynamic poster which incorporates typography and advertising design. A diagonal compositional graphic which has, flat planes of vibrant colour and angular repetitive forms which produce kinetic energy.


The Dynamism of Bodies in Motion of the photographer Etienne-Jules Marey, couldn’t get enough of it was a good sources of inspiration for them due to the human movements depictions.

It was very influential, and could be clearly seen in Giacomo Balla’s work;

Dynamism of a Dog on Leash – Giacomo Balla, 1912

It was one of the most striking paintings at that time because it captured all the physical motion with the use of the repetition of movements. The use of contrasting black against a white background draws your attention on the movement that’s happening. The use of fine streaks in the background and the transparency of the bodies gives a certain illusion of speed.

References:

• David Britt, 2010. Modern Art: Impressionism to Post-Modernism. Thames & Hudson, London.
• Italian Futurism - Smarthistory. 2013. [ONLINE] Available at: http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/futurism.html. [Accessed November 2013].