Futurism was an Italian art movement that flourished from 1909 to about 1916. It was the first of many art movements that tried to break with the past in all areas of life. Futurism glorified the power, speed, and excitement that characterized the machine age. From the French Cubist painters and multiple-exposure photography, the Futurists learned to break up realistic forms into multiple images and overlapping fragments of color. By such means, they attempted to portray the energy and speed of modern life. In literature, Futurism demanded the abolition of traditional sentence structures and verse forms.
Futurism was created by the poet Filippo Marinetti. In 1909, Marinetti issued the first of many defiant proclamations published by the Futurists. Marinetti was soon joined by the painters Giacomo Balla, Carlo Carra, Luigi Russolo, and Gino Severini, and the painter and sculptor Umberto Boccioni.
By 1916, Futurism had lost most of its vigor. Despite its short life, Futurism influenced the theories and works of such modern art movements as Dadaism, Expressionism, and Surrealism.
See also Boccioni, Umberto ; Sculpture (Modern international sculpture) .
