User Comments

1. 

   4/18/08

   daniel23

   Both the Bolsheviks and the fascists exploited the aesthetic gestalt of the workers' movement. The aesthetic sense of strength, strength thru unity, the "iron man", movement, etc. Georges Sorel got his philosophy from the libertarian workers' movement and the Italian "futurists" got many of their artistic ideas from Sorel, and from them the authoritarian Statist movements took their aesthetics.
   
   Libertarianism is turned into authoritarianism, aesthetically.

   [reply]
2. 

   4/18/08

   daniel23

   For instance, this important futurist picture "The Funeral of the anarchist Galli" by Carlo Carrà:
   
   

   [reply]
   1. 

      4/18/08

      Norski

      www.unknown.nu/futurism/
      
      cool site
      
      gotta go
      
      thanks
   2. 

      4/18/08

      daniel23

      Marinetti:
      
      "We Futurists, who for over two years, scorned by the Lame and Paralyzed, have glorified the love of danger and violence, praised patriotism and war, the hygene of the world, are happy to finally experience this great Futurist hour of Italy, while the foul tribe of pacifists huddles dying in the deep cellars of the ridiculous palace at The Hague.
      
      We have recently had the pleasure of fighting in the streets with the most fervent adversaries of the war, and shouting in their faces our firm beliefs:
      
      1. All liberties should be given to the individual and the collectivity, save that of being cowardly.
      
      2. Let it be proclaimed that the word Italy should prevail over the word Freedom.
      
      3. Let the tiresome memory of Roman greatness be cancelled by an Italian greatness a hundred times greater.
      
      For us today, Italy has the shape and power of a fine Dreadnought battleship with its squadron of torpedo-boat islands. Proud to feel that the marital fervor throughout the Nation is equal to ours, we urge the Italian government, Futurist at last, to magnify all the national ambitions, disdaining the stupid accusations of piracy, and proclaim the birth of Panitalianism.
      
      Futurist poets, painters, sculptors, and musicians of Italy! As long as the war lasts let us set aside our verse, our brushes, scapels, and orchestras! The red holidays of genius have begun! There is nothing for us to admire today but the dreadful symphonies of the shrapnels and the mad sculptures that our inspired artillery molds among the masses of the enemy."
      
      Git.
   3. 

      4/18/08

      daniel23

      Marinetti:
      
      "We will glorify war—the world’s only hygiene—militarism, patriotism, the destructive gesture of freedom-bringers, beautiful ideas worth dying for, and scorn for woman."
      
      "We will sing of great crowds excited by work, by pleasure, and by riot; we will sing of the multicolored, polyphonic tides of revolution in the modern capitals; we will sing of the vibrant nightly fervor of arsenals and shipyards blazing with violent electric moons; greedy railway stations that devour smoke-plumed serpents; factories hung on clouds by the crooked lines of their smoke; bridges that stride the rivers like giant gymnasts, flashing in the sun with a glitter of knives; adventurous steamers that sniff the horizon; deep-chested locomotives whose wheels paw the tracks like the hooves of enormous steel horses bridled by tubing; and the sleek flight of planes whose propellers chatter in the wind like banners and seem to cheer like an enthusiastic crowd."
   4. 

      4/18/08

      Norski

      The introduction to that site had this in its introduction:
      
      "The Futurists loved speed, noise, machines, pollution, and cities; they embraced the exciting new world that was then upon them rather than hypocritically enjoying the modern world’s comforts while loudly denouncing the forces that made them possible. Fearing and attacking technology has become almost second nature to many people today; the Futurist manifestos show us an alternative philosophy."
      
      Adding, 'too bad they were all fascists.'
      
      I'll skip the pollution, but I find a great deal to sympathize with in the statement. I don't have the 'child of the sixties' fear and loathing of technology: This may be why I've found some appeal in this artistic style.
      
      But not, apparently, the underlying philosophies.
   5. 

      4/18/08

      daniel23

      They also loudly enjoyed their freedoms while loudly denouncing the forces that made them possible.
   6. 

      4/18/08

      Norski

      daniel23,
      
      There seems to be a lot of that going around, during the last century at least.
      
      A not-rare gag in the sixties was having a groovy chick talking about the evils of money, and how it wasn't necessary - besides, if she needed anything, she could use her daddy's credit card.
   7. 

      4/18/08

      daniel23

      Lol.
3. 

   4/18/08

   offendedblogger

   I prefer Monet to all of these.

   [reply]
   1. 

      4/18/08

      Norski

      I actually like Futurist art (and a great many other styles). Monet is delightful, so is Dali.
      
      I even find an appeal in Modernist architecture, although I'm more inclined to go for Baroque. Or Art Deco.
4. 

   4/18/08

   daniel23

   Anarchist art:
   
   
   
   Clifford Harper

   [reply]
   1. 

      4/18/08

      Norski

      Thanks - style looks awfully familiar, somehow.
   2. 

      4/18/08

      daniel23

      Yup, his work has been very popular. In the 70s he was super popular.
5. 

   4/18/08

   Norski

   My boss (me) says I've gotta get back to work.
   
   So long, all!

   [reply]
6. 

   12/03/08

   LarsCuzner

   I've been getting in trouble, but it is just art.
   www.larscuzner.com/

   [reply]