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| Back to the Futurists | Back to the Futurists |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The influence of Futurism is evident in Fritz Lang's 1926 cult film Metropolis By Lawrence Pollard BBC arts correspondent | The influence of Futurism is evident in Fritz Lang's 1926 cult film Metropolis By Lawrence Pollard BBC arts correspondent |
| It called for the demolition of museums and libraries, contempt for women and the glorification of war, "the world's only hygiene". | |
| It promoted "the beautiful ideas which kill" and claimed that beauty exists only in struggle - so why is the art world celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Futurist Manifesto? | It promoted "the beautiful ideas which kill" and claimed that beauty exists only in struggle - so why is the art world celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Futurist Manifesto? |
| 10 FUTURIST VALUES Love of dangerEnergy and fearlessnessCourage, audacity and revoltAggressive actionLove of speedSplendour and generosityThe beauty of struggleThe glory of warScorn for womenDestruction of museums and libraries Read the Futurist manifesto [17.1KB] Because when it appeared, on 20 February 1909, it was the first art manifesto of the 20th Century, paving the way for Vorticists, Surrealists, Dada-ists, and Situationists, as well as more recent cultural agitators like the Stuckists. | 10 FUTURIST VALUES Love of dangerEnergy and fearlessnessCourage, audacity and revoltAggressive actionLove of speedSplendour and generosityThe beauty of struggleThe glory of warScorn for womenDestruction of museums and libraries Read the Futurist manifesto [17.1KB] Because when it appeared, on 20 February 1909, it was the first art manifesto of the 20th Century, paving the way for Vorticists, Surrealists, Dada-ists, and Situationists, as well as more recent cultural agitators like the Stuckists. |
| But first, the Futurists and Filippo Tommaso Marinetti. A millionaire Italian poet with a passion for fast cars, he created an artistic movement out of nothing. He sat down and created his "-ism", Futurism, and then went about recruiting Futurist artists. | But first, the Futurists and Filippo Tommaso Marinetti. A millionaire Italian poet with a passion for fast cars, he created an artistic movement out of nothing. He sat down and created his "-ism", Futurism, and then went about recruiting Futurist artists. |
| It was an early exercise in cultural branding. Marinetti took over the front page of newspapers across Europe and had his manifesto printed - a sort of advertorial for speed, youth, newness and the destruction of the old order. | It was an early exercise in cultural branding. Marinetti took over the front page of newspapers across Europe and had his manifesto printed - a sort of advertorial for speed, youth, newness and the destruction of the old order. |
| And he had set the template for the manifesto - shock tactics, declamation, bullet points, such as: "A racing car is more beautiful than the Victory of Samothace", "Poetry must be a violent assault..." and "We glorify War..." | And he had set the template for the manifesto - shock tactics, declamation, bullet points, such as: "A racing car is more beautiful than the Victory of Samothace", "Poetry must be a violent assault..." and "We glorify War..." |
| It had 11 bullet points because 11 was his favourite number. | It had 11 bullet points because 11 was his favourite number. |
| Dr Roberta Cremoncini of London's Estorick Collection of Italian Art says Marinetti sounds a bit mad, but was serious. | Dr Roberta Cremoncini of London's Estorick Collection of Italian Art says Marinetti sounds a bit mad, but was serious. |
| "He was a self-publicist, but wanted to change Italian culture too, to update it and break in a very clear way with the past. This is why the manifesto dictates burning museums, a cleansing war, to shake Italy." | "He was a self-publicist, but wanted to change Italian culture too, to update it and break in a very clear way with the past. This is why the manifesto dictates burning museums, a cleansing war, to shake Italy." |
| Manifestos multiply | Manifestos multiply |
| Within a few years, Italy and Europe were indeed shaken, by world war. And that inevitably colours our view of Marinetti's invocation of conflict, according to art critic William Feaver. | Within a few years, Italy and Europe were indeed shaken, by world war. And that inevitably colours our view of Marinetti's invocation of conflict, according to art critic William Feaver. |
| "Futurism came at a very good moment for getting excited about the 20th Century. Bang at the beginning, just avoiding the start of the war. The manifesto was about publicity, he published to become famous. And they became famous." | "Futurism came at a very good moment for getting excited about the 20th Century. Bang at the beginning, just avoiding the start of the war. The manifesto was about publicity, he published to become famous. And they became famous." |
| Futurist Luigi Russolo with his art of noise machine. "Noise triumphs and reigns supreme over the sensibilities of men," he declared in 1913.Enlarge Image And soon everyone wanted a manifesto, to shout their claim to be new, to be best. The British Vorticists published BLAST in 1914 - again, unfortunate timing - with a 10-point manifesto beginning "Beyond Action and Reaction we would establish ourselves" and going on to register disapproval of the London suburb of Putney and approval of hairdressers. | Futurist Luigi Russolo with his art of noise machine. "Noise triumphs and reigns supreme over the sensibilities of men," he declared in 1913.Enlarge Image And soon everyone wanted a manifesto, to shout their claim to be new, to be best. The British Vorticists published BLAST in 1914 - again, unfortunate timing - with a 10-point manifesto beginning "Beyond Action and Reaction we would establish ourselves" and going on to register disapproval of the London suburb of Putney and approval of hairdressers. |
| Two years later, the Dada manifesto was recited by Hugo Ball at a cabaret in Zurich, and then rewritten in 1918 by Tristan Tzara who summed up manifesto writing succinctly: "To put out a manifesto you must want A B C and fulminate against 1 2 3." | Two years later, the Dada manifesto was recited by Hugo Ball at a cabaret in Zurich, and then rewritten in 1918 by Tristan Tzara who summed up manifesto writing succinctly: "To put out a manifesto you must want A B C and fulminate against 1 2 3." |
| The year 1930 saw the Concrete Art manifesto ("Art is Universal"), the Manifesto of Mural Painting followed in 1933, and let's not forget Andre Breton's two Surrealist Manifestos, from 1924 ("Surrealism will usher you into death") and 1929 ("Run down the street pistol in hand, firing blindly as fast as you can, into the crowd.") | The year 1930 saw the Concrete Art manifesto ("Art is Universal"), the Manifesto of Mural Painting followed in 1933, and let's not forget Andre Breton's two Surrealist Manifestos, from 1924 ("Surrealism will usher you into death") and 1929 ("Run down the street pistol in hand, firing blindly as fast as you can, into the crowd.") |
| We could go on, through the White manifesto of 1946, the Spatialist manifesto of 1952, offerings from the Situationists (1960) Chelsea Hotel (1962) Fluxus (1963) SCUM (1967) Body Art (1975) Cheap Art (1984) and many many more - but let's get up to date with the Stuckist Manifesto. | We could go on, through the White manifesto of 1946, the Spatialist manifesto of 1952, offerings from the Situationists (1960) Chelsea Hotel (1962) Fluxus (1963) SCUM (1967) Body Art (1975) Cheap Art (1984) and many many more - but let's get up to date with the Stuckist Manifesto. |
| 'Stuck, stuck, stuck' | 'Stuck, stuck, stuck' |
| To protest against what they saw as the dominance of conceptual art and the Young British Artists, at the expense of figurative painting, Billy Childish and Charles Thomson unleashed the Stuckist Manifesto in 1999, taking their name from Tracey Emin's reported criticism that their figurative work was "Stuck! Stuck! Stuck!" | To protest against what they saw as the dominance of conceptual art and the Young British Artists, at the expense of figurative painting, Billy Childish and Charles Thomson unleashed the Stuckist Manifesto in 1999, taking their name from Tracey Emin's reported criticism that their figurative work was "Stuck! Stuck! Stuck!" |
| A single woman in London is never more than 6" away from the nearest rat, by Charles Thomson Itâs a 20-point manifesto, "against conceptualism, hedonsim and the cult of the ego artist." "Art that has to be a gallery to be art, isn't art," it proclaimed. "Stuckism is anti-ism." | A single woman in London is never more than 6" away from the nearest rat, by Charles Thomson Itâs a 20-point manifesto, "against conceptualism, hedonsim and the cult of the ego artist." "Art that has to be a gallery to be art, isn't art," it proclaimed. "Stuckism is anti-ism." |
| So why a manifesto? | So why a manifesto? |
| "You can put across in a very simple and striking way, your basic beliefs," says Mr Thomson. | "You can put across in a very simple and striking way, your basic beliefs," says Mr Thomson. |
| "Itâs a bit like poetry. It compresses feelings and thoughts in a memorable form. You have to strike a chord with supporters, and make those who donât agree with you as angry as possible. We managed that quite well, especially with the statement, 'Artists who donât paint aren't artists.'" | "Itâs a bit like poetry. It compresses feelings and thoughts in a memorable form. You have to strike a chord with supporters, and make those who donât agree with you as angry as possible. We managed that quite well, especially with the statement, 'Artists who donât paint aren't artists.'" |
| Where Marinetti had to buy space in newspapers, the Stuckists have spread with the internet. There are now 187 groups in 45 countries, the latest being the Tehran Stuckists, but it's not like joining a cult, says Mr Thomson. | Where Marinetti had to buy space in newspapers, the Stuckists have spread with the internet. There are now 187 groups in 45 countries, the latest being the Tehran Stuckists, but it's not like joining a cult, says Mr Thomson. |
| "We encourage people to write their own version of the manifesto, If you want to be a Stuckist you have to do it yourself, and the only way to leave is to throw yourself out of your own group. Which they sometimes do." | "We encourage people to write their own version of the manifesto, If you want to be a Stuckist you have to do it yourself, and the only way to leave is to throw yourself out of your own group. Which they sometimes do." |
| And what was the future for the father of the art manifesto, Marinetti? He spent the rest of his life writing hundreds of futurist manifestos, on painting, film, music, noise, women, men's clothing, lust, the future reconstruction of the universe and even food, where he called for the abolition of pasta. | And what was the future for the father of the art manifesto, Marinetti? He spent the rest of his life writing hundreds of futurist manifestos, on painting, film, music, noise, women, men's clothing, lust, the future reconstruction of the universe and even food, where he called for the abolition of pasta. |
| Futurism was overtaken by the future, ended up identifying with Fascism and died with Marinetti in 1944. But the manifestos were great. | Futurism was overtaken by the future, ended up identifying with Fascism and died with Marinetti in 1944. But the manifestos were great. |
| What would you put in your art manifesto? Let us know using the form below. | What would you put in your art manifesto? Let us know using the form below. |
| Kandinskij said: "The form is the outer expression of the inner content. One should not make a deity of form. And one should fight for the form only insofar as it can serve as a means of expression of the inner resonance. Ultimately one should not seek salvation in one form." Contemporary art seem to have forgotten this. In Art product doesn't matter. Only the human value of the artist and his struggle do.Beatrice, Rome, Italy | Kandinskij said: "The form is the outer expression of the inner content. One should not make a deity of form. And one should fight for the form only insofar as it can serve as a means of expression of the inner resonance. Ultimately one should not seek salvation in one form." Contemporary art seem to have forgotten this. In Art product doesn't matter. Only the human value of the artist and his struggle do.Beatrice, Rome, Italy |
| If your art cannot communicate without a long verbal explanation, then surely you have failed in your art. It's about expressing what cannot be expressed with words. Good luck with your verbal props.Michael, Frankfurt, Germany | If your art cannot communicate without a long verbal explanation, then surely you have failed in your art. It's about expressing what cannot be expressed with words. Good luck with your verbal props.Michael, Frankfurt, Germany |
| Crunchism - We are dedicated to the concept of bankruptcy and the bankruptcy of concept. Simon Thompson, London | Crunchism - We are dedicated to the concept of bankruptcy and the bankruptcy of concept. Simon Thompson, London |
| CHIC PRIMITIVISM = THE BIRTH OF DEATH = REAL PAINTING. | CHIC PRIMITIVISM = THE BIRTH OF DEATH = REAL PAINTING. |
| p.s- don't believe me? Then feel free to look at my web site. SCOTT BATTY (a chic primitif)., Alfortville, France | p.s- don't believe me? Then feel free to look at my web site. SCOTT BATTY (a chic primitif)., Alfortville, France |
| Artists who don't struggle into the unknown aren't artists.j williamson, roujan France | Artists who don't struggle into the unknown aren't artists.j williamson, roujan France |
| These self-styled "artists" amuse the rest of us. The defining necessity for a "manifesto" is power, and this is just what these effete individuals lack, and resent the lack of. ART (capitalised for effect) is whatever the viewer perceives to be art, whether it fits into a dogmatic notion of art or not. Visit an art museum and see what the public stands in front of. That's art.Bill Daley, Wollongong, NSW, Australia | These self-styled "artists" amuse the rest of us. The defining necessity for a "manifesto" is power, and this is just what these effete individuals lack, and resent the lack of. ART (capitalised for effect) is whatever the viewer perceives to be art, whether it fits into a dogmatic notion of art or not. Visit an art museum and see what the public stands in front of. That's art.Bill Daley, Wollongong, NSW, Australia |
| Monkey + God = Man Kevin , New York, NY | Monkey + God = Man Kevin , New York, NY |
| Writers are artists, but not all artists are writers.karen, Wisconsin, U.S. | Writers are artists, but not all artists are writers.karen, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| The surreal is the real subverted by the imagination.Stancel Spencer, Jacksonville, Florida, USA | The surreal is the real subverted by the imagination.Stancel Spencer, Jacksonville, Florida, USA |
| 1. I am passionate about creativity | 1. I am passionate about creativity |
| 2. My philosophy is to create only the best art | 2. My philosophy is to create only the best art |
| 3. I source only the finest organic pigments | 3. I source only the finest organic pigments |
| 4. All my art is created daily, and sold fresh | 4. All my art is created daily, and sold fresh |
| 5. My art promotes responsible and sustainable viewing | 5. My art promotes responsible and sustainable viewing |
| 6. I hope that you enjoy my art!Tony T, London, UK | 6. I hope that you enjoy my art!Tony T, London, UK |