Cubism and Futurism

Cubism:

Cubism was one of the driving forces of innovation during the twentieth century. It catered at a time when artists felt that the illusion of space and mass became less and less important. Influence of non- western art changed artists understanding of art. Artists moved away from beauty and naturalism. 

Cubism started with;

Pablo Picasso

Georges Braque

Between 1909 and 1914 they were the main artist of cubism. Their main subjects were taken from the Café in Paris. As a result of that we see creations of still life’s and portraits. 

Braque uses a lot of lines in “Le Portuguese” which was made in 1911. A lot of geometrical shapes, interlocking lines, the painting portrays musical instruments. Among those shapes and lines there are a lot of forms. There are also a lot of 3D forms, the sense of 3D is created with 3D being there and not but at the same time it has a narrow color range and a concentration of form, over lapping lines. It isn’t something straight forward; it makes you look into further detail to see what there is in the painting. No straightforwardness. 

This painting looks like a woman sitting. It has a lot of geometric shapes and there are lines forming forms from the human shape, a series of different markings some shaded some not.

Futurism: 

Futurism emerged before  WW1 (World War 1) along with Orphism and Rayonism. They wanted to create change and helped in the development of total abstraction. Futurism developed in Italy during difficult social and political times. Artists in this period included: Giacomo Balla and Umberto Boccioni.

    Art + Action + Life = Futurism 

        Its manifesto, list of things he believed in,was printed in Le Figaro in 1909. In it Filippo Marinetti gave importance to: Technology, dynamism and speed. 

   Characteristics included:

-  Non naturalistic color, increasing abstraction.

-  Force lines.

   Giacomo Balla:

“ the gesture which we would reproduce on canvas shall no longer be a fixed moment… It shall simply be the dynamic sensation itself.”

Umberto Boccioni - The Charge of the Lancers - 1915

References: 
Cubism: Art Factory, 2014, Cubism - The First Style of Abstract Art [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.artyfactory.com/art_appreciation/art_movements/cubism.htm [Accessed at: 23 January 2014]
Futurism: KHANAcademy, 2005, Italian Futurism - An Introduction [ONLINE] Available at: http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/futurism.html [Accessed 23 January 2014]