IV. Futurism

The Impact of Cubism on Modern Sculpture 

 

IV. Futurism

 

 

 Umberto Boccioni (1882~1916)

 

Cubism made a big change in modern art history, but this change was limited to art. on the other hand, Futurism especially in Italy involved all the culture including politics, economy, literature, and absolutely art .

 

Needless to say, Futurism was influenced by Cubism in the beginning, but most futurists tried to depart from Cubism. Cubism was strongly influenced by Primitivism in terms of the simplified figure, and to make a simplified figure by using compositional ways. While Futurists accepted the compositional and analytical way from Cubism, they made their works very complex and complicated the opposite of Primitivism . Then what is the concept and main purpose of Futurism? We can see clearly if we look at Marinetti's quote:

 

‘The beauty of speed..... A racing motor-car, its frame adorned with great pipes, like snakes with explosive breath... a roaring motorcar, which looks as though running on shrapnel, is more beautiful than the Victory of Samothrace .'        

     

As we can see from Marinetti's quote, Futurism admired modern technology and Industrialism. I think this is the biggest difference between Futurism and Cubism.

 

Boccioni is the most influential artist in Futurism in both painting and sculpture. Even though his career was short ended by his abrupt death, he was devoted to the development of Futurism and also to modern sculpture. I would like to divide his career as a sculptor into two parts. First is the period influenced by Cubism, and next is his own Futurist stage. (from 1913 to 1916) Boccioni made Anti-Graceful (The Artist's Mother), 1912.
 

 Umberto Boccioni,  Anti-Graceful, portrait of his mother , 1912

 

Umberto Boccioni, Unique Forms of Continuity in Space 1913 (Bronze)

 

I am sure that this showed strong relationship to Picasso's Head of Woman, 1909-1910. But the only difference is that Boccioni was concerned about the surrounding of his subject unlike Picasso. There are some strange furniture-like figures below the face and a certain pier-like shape above the head in Boccioni's Anti-Graceful. But the strong influence of Cubism still remained.

 

Boccioni made a still life sculpture in the same year, Development of a Bottle in Space, 1912. This is one of his most significant pieces, and this shows well Boccioni's understanding of Cubism and procedures in his work. There are shapes of a bottle, plate, cup, and table in this sculpture. Boccioni cut off and divided these figures and space by using cubistic compositional way. But this Boccioni sculpture is different from Picasso's. Boccioni's work looks more accurate, analytical, and technological. This difference between Picasso's work and Boccioni's work demonstrates the intrinsic difference in the basic concept of each movement. This means that Cubism admires Primitive works, but is aware of industrial technology, while Futurism loves industrial technology. But in spite of these differences, I would like to understand these two Boccioni works in the succession of Cubistic sculpture. Boccioni was concerned very much about transparency just like Picasso's Glass Absinthe and used the cubistic compositional way. Many of Boccioni's study sketches for Development of a Bottle in Space can support this view .

After this year, in 1913 he made his own futurist style sculpture, Unique Forms of Continuity in Space, 1913. Unitil his death in 1916, Boccioni made many significant pieces of Futurism, and made big contribution to the history of modern art.   
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