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relation to image, text and declamation? Choose and consider a few -- or all -- of the aspects
explored in the lecture (painting, assemblage, synesthesia, onomatopoeia, acoustic space, gesture,
action and physicality, simultaneity, chance, Futurist Evenings, Primitivism, Bruitism, Dada soiree /
Cabaret Voltaire, etc.).
Futurism is grounded in the complete renewal of human sensibility brought about by the great
discoveries of science. (Tisdall and Bozzolla, 1977, p. 8) Expanding through a wide range of
medium Italian futurism was the first cultural movement of the twentieth-century to aim directly
and deliberately at a mass audience. (Tisdall and Bozzolla, 1977, p. 7) with a level of hypocrisy
within art it could be argued that performance is now evolving into a commodity based formula to
appeal a mass market. Is art therefore being devalued? Equally this now could open up a spectrum
of political based art and broaden the public's perspective of performance. Their aim and claim
was to transform was to transform the mentality of an anachronistic society. Marinetti and his
friends were determined to prepare Italy for what seemed to be the great adventure of modern times:
'what we want to do is to break down the mysterious doors of the impossible'. (Tisdall and
Bozzolla, 1977, p. 7). This indicates that performance and politics is shifting and developing to be
expansive and to disregard anything deemed as infeasible.
Within this concept of change came 'the art of noise' which is a key feature of Marinetti's furturism
movement. The art of noise is a clear representation of how futurists started to view the world
within a different light, breaking down structuralism; rhythm, dynamics and the soft and limpid
purity of sound (Russolo, 1967, p. 5) The line between music and noise grows ever thinner as the
human ear desirers a a more complex polyphony and a greater variety of instrumental tones and
coloring. (Russolo, 1967, p. 5) The art of noise is therefore catering to an already present need
with human audio evolution which had been developed through social structure. This revolution of
music is paralleled by the increasing proliferation of machinery sharing in human labor. In the
pounding atmosphere of great cities as well as in the formerly silent countryside, machines create
today such a large number of varied noises that pure sound,with its littleness and its monotony, now
fails to arouse any emotion. (Russolo, 1967, p. 5) Imagery was also influencing the field of noise
and sound. Machinery and mechanisation was integrating within day to day life and changing the
atmosphere of the environment. From this, noise artists such as Luigi Russolo developed noise
compositions to relate to the ever growing mechanised world and the world war, which was another
strong inspiration for futurists.
In 1909 the Italian futurists were publishing manifestos which were as like dada as two peas in a
pod. (Ritcher 1964, p. 11) Dadaism is a protest born, anti-war and anti-bourgeois movement and a
reaction to cultures through the time of war, standing for anarchy, chance, existentialism and using
mechanical techniques, literature, visual arts, theatre, graphic design and art theory. Dadaism had a
strong revolt to the violence of war opposing futurists who indulged in it. Through war came
intense visual imagery to influence and inspire Dadaist's work. The word 'dada' is nonsensical and
has no clear meaning and is meant to represent the randomness and the sporadic nature of the
movement. Chance is highly reflected within Dadaist work, most notably sound poetry, developed
by Kurt Scwitter, abstract art and automatic writing.
The Cabaret Voltaire was a six-piece band. Each played his instrument, i.e himself, passionately
and with all his soul. Each of them, different as he was from all the others, was his own music, his
own words, his own rhythm. Each sang his own song with all his might - and, miraculously, they
found in the end that they belonged together and needed each other. (Ritcher 1964, p. 11)
Futurism and Dadaism both seem to have similar approaches to art and deal with the evolution of
noise and sound in corresponding ways. though each counter act this within their performative
work. Dadaism as a strong resentment of the war and believe in chance and freedom whereas
futurist's endure and even proclaim the war within their work.
Bibliography
Bozzolla, A., &Tisdall, C. (Eds). (1977). Futurism. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd.
Richer, H. (1965 & 1997). Dada Art and Anti Art. (D. Britt, Trans.). London: Thames and Hudson.
(Originally published in 1964)
Russolo, L., & Something Else Press (1967). The Art of Noise: Futurist manifesto 1913 (R. Filliou,
Trans.) . New York: Something Else Press (Origional work published 1913)