PR - Futurism Theory Research

Concept

Futurism is a popular social thought trend in the modern West. It aims to predict and predict the prospects of future social development based on human past development and scientific knowledge, so as to control and plan the current process and better adapt to the future.

Futurism is an avant-garde movement founded in Milan in 1909 by the Italian poet Filippo Tommaso Marinetti. It emphasized speed, technology, youth, violence, and objects such as the car, the airplane, and the industrial city. Its key figures were the Italians Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Umberto Boccioni, Carlo Carrà, Fortunato Depero, Gino Severini, Giacomo Balla, and Luigi Russolo.

Focusing on progress and modernity, the Futurists sought to sweep away traditional artistic notions and replace them with an energetic celebration of the machine age. Focus was placed on creating a unique and dynamic vision of the future and artists incorporated portrayals of urban landscapes as well as new technologies such as trains, cars, and airplanes into their depictions. Speed, violence, and the working classes were all glorified by the group as ways to advance change and their work covered a wide variety of artforms, including architecture, sculpture, literature, theatre, music, and even food.

Background

A new technological revolution on a global scale has sprung up after the Second World War, and futurism was born from this. Its development went through three stages: the first stage was in the 1940s. The social development theory was mainly political development, reflecting the fear and criticism of totalitarianism. Representatives include Huxley, Orwell, etc.; the second stage was in the 1950s and 1960s, the theme was the discussion of economic development, reflecting the characteristics of the post-war economic recovery period and the period of economic development in the 1960s. Representatives include Galbraith, Rostow, and Aron. The third stage is after the 1970s. With the development of science and technology as the basic style, reflecting the introspection of the new technological revolution and the future life of mankind. Representatives include the members of the Club of Rome Daniel Bell, Herman Kahn, Alvin Toffler, Brzezinski and Naisbitt et al.

Futurism was invented, and predominantly based, in Italy, led by the charismatic poet Marinetti. The group was at its most influential and active between 1909 and 1914 but was re-started by Marinetti after the end of the First World War. This revival attracted new artists and became known as second generation Futurism. Although most prominent in Italy, Futurist ideas were utilized by artists in Britain (informing Vorticism), the US and Japan and Futurist works were displayed all over Europe. Russian Futurism is usually considered a separate movement, although some Russian Futurists did engage with the earlier Italian movement.

To some extent Futurism influenced the art movements Art Deco, Constructivism, Surrealism, and Dada, and to a greater degree Precisionism, Rayonism, and Vorticism.

Posted by Stephen Van Dyk on February 20, 2013

Les mots en liberté futuristes (Futurist Words in Freedom), published in 1919, has an ingenious typographic design and an explosive layout. Its different styles and sizes of typeface defied traditional rules of structure and punctuation and heralded a revolution in modern visual communication.