Futurism

Marinetti, the author of the "Futurist Manifesto", described himself as the caffeine of Europe. By the outbreak of the First World War, it was true that the art movement that he had spawned, dedicated to capturing the new, modern urban experiences of speed, flight, multi-exposure photography, cinema and electric light, had galvanized the continent. Synonymous with outrage, violence, novelty and excitement, Futurism alone amongst avant-garde art movements had made a profound impression on the man in the street. In Italy, in particular its influence between the wars, spread beyond the visual arts and literature into fields as diverse as architecture, music, cookery, ceramics and stage design. However, the enthusiasm of many Futurist artists for the Fascist regime of Mussolini meant that the movement ended in ignominy, with many of the later works by key artists consigned to the annals of history. Tracing the roots of Futurism back to the Cubist paintings produced in Paris by Braque, Picasso and their contemporaries, works that had a profound effect on Italian artists such as Boccioni and Severini, this book also tracks the influence of Futurism on French art, on the Rayonists and Cubo-Futurists in Russia and the Vorticists in London, establishing it as a key source for much of the output of the twentieth century avant-garde. Copiously illustrated and featuring illuminating contributions by leading international authorities on Futurism and the avant-garde, this radical re-assessment is key to understanding the genesis of many of modernism's greatest works. Artists featured include: Bala, Boccioni, Carra, Delaunay, Duchamp, Epstein, Gaudier-Brzeska, Gleizes, Gris, Kupka, Leger, Lewis, Malevitch, Metzinger, Nevinson, Picabia, Picasso, Popova, Russolo, Severini, and Duchamp-Villon.