Why Futurist artists were rebels?

Rebels of a new generation

A generation before the Futurists, there was a widespread anxiety about the fast-industrializing world of Europe. Close to the end of the 19th century, many young people suffered from an anxiety and disillusionment about life in their cities. That transfigured into morbid art movements like Symbolism and Romanticism. Futurism arrived with a new attitude to modernity. Unlike their predecessors, the Futurists saw the industrial city not as a hostile place. They embraced modernity and admired it. That is the reason you won’t see among the works of Futurists any religious, historical, mythological or romantic paintings. You won’t find nude, especially female, Futurist paintings either, which is not surprising seeing that this artistic movement had a masculine vein running through it. The Symbolists and the Romantics were often targets of Marinetti’s derision in his writings. Also, he publicly condemned the “English art” (the Pre-Raphaelites).

The one art movement that had the greatest influence on Futurism was Cubism. The common elements are obvious in Futurist paintings. However, the Futurists became a separate movement since their main concern, unlike the Cubists, was to show dynamism—objects in motion.

If you have’t seen many mentions of Futurist art in pop culture as is the case with Picasso’s Cubist art or Monet’s Impressionist works, there is a fine explanation. Most art movements start with controversy then eventually become mainstream. However this one in particular never cleared its name. If the artists’ embrace of violence and war was not enough, some of their paintings before the movement disappeared could be considered mere fascist propaganda. It should be noted that not all Futurists were supporters of fascism, or at least officially affiliated with them. Despite their support of fascism and misogyny, the movement’s aesthetics occasionally brings inspiration to designers as in the case of this BMW Z4 Coupe which seems to be moving “even when standing still”!