Manifesto Of Futurism

Le Figaro, 20 February 1909, Futurist Manifesto

The Futurist Manifesto was one of the first documents to celebrate the automobile as an object of beauty and to cite speed and acceleration as aesthetic elements. “We declare that the splendor of the world has been enriched by a new beauty: the beauty of speed,” Marinetti proclaimed.

Futurism emphasized the dynamism, speed, energy, and power of the machine and the vitality, change, and restlessness of modern life in general. The most significant results of the movement were in the visual arts and poetry. 

The name Futurism, coined by Marinetti, reflected his emphasis on discarding what he conceived to be the static and irrelevant art of the past and celebrating change, originality, and innovation in culture and society.

Personally I found the manifesto quite difficult to read and quite shocking taking into consideration when it was published. Marinetti glorified the new technology of the automobile and the beauty of its speed, power and movement. He promoted violence and conflict. The manifesto's rhetoric felt passionately bombastic and the tone aggressive and explosive and purposely intended to encourage anger and confusion to motivate controversy.

I also came across a video an interpretation of futurism which gives an impression and creates feeling of that era. 

First Surrealist Manifesto

After reading The First Surrealist Manifesto I got a bit confused and decided to do a bit more research on it. This is what I came across.

http://www.createtoday.com/w/significance-of-the-first-surrealist-manifesto/16252 

There Taymaz Valley very good analyses the manifesto and after reading it trough it got much clearer for me.

"Surrealism as a movement is a very important one, as it led to the survival of avant-garde ideas. The return to classical style and ideology wich had taken place in the European nations, due to lack of identity post war, had left many unsatisfied; and Surrealism gave the intellectuals the boost they needed. This move away from the materialistic and Bourgeois values of society was celebrated by the first Surrealist Manifesto of 1924, and it provided an alternative. The fact that the first manifesto was named “La Revolution” gave it the attraction it needed. A war that had left many questioning the system and their morals, had a direct affect on the way Andre Breton had been thinking. His experiences as a junior doctor had given him the opportunity to broaden his knowledge in areas that interested him. Fraud and his doctrine, were a big influence on the surrealistic movement. And, surrealism in turn, had an enormous effect on other avant-garde movements later in history, Abstract-Expressionism to name one.

The first surrealist manifesto of 1924, gave the movement its basis. It provided an outline of ideas and philosophy which was to be followed and improved on. It was immensely successful in its objectives, and established surrealism as a movement."

"À bout de souffle" (Breathlesss) by Jean-Luc Godard 1960

Seated in an uncomfortable seat spent an hour of my life watching a masterpiece, one of the great movies ever made. Did not know what to expect because have never seen a movie of Jean-Luc Godard and thought that I’ll give it a shot only because it was directed by one of the most influential directors of ALL-TIME even though I am not a great fan of that era.

To be honest I found the film monotonous, unentertaining and boring, but it still is one of the greatest movies. I think being black and white and dull story line in the film left me emotion-less, I understand the intrigue, particularly if you were alive and young when this film was showing for the first time in the cinema but it didn’t hit me the way it did others. However I can appreciate how it influenced and affected everybody down the generations and it still was directed by one of the greatest of all time.  I like movies when after watching you have to get yourself thinking and constantly get back to it and rethink over again and "Breathless" was not one of them, but it still is one of the greatest movies ever made.

W'hampton Art Gallery Visit

Jan Mikulka “Jakub”

I thought it is a photograph but when I had stepped closer realized it’s not.

It is so incredibly life-like it caught my imagination with its minutely detailed and skilful rendering of skin and hair tones and very effective and I would even say powerful lightning.I don’t think I have ever seen such a stunningly amazing use of light in a portrait. I was completely blown away by it. It gave me an impression that portrait was lit up and if I stepped forward the portrait then I would be able to see much more details that I could not see because of the light and shadow falling on Jakub’s face. Because of the effective lightning I had a desire to push Jakub backwards to the shadow or pull him towards to the light to see his face clearer.

I was also touched by the slightly sulky expression, which makes him look very young.

The Black Cat

Had to read a famous short story "The Black Cat" by not less famous Edgar Allan Poe.It was first printed on August 19, 1843, in the Philadelphia edition of a newspaper called the United States Saturday Post.

I think this story is rather disturbing. Poe says that he is not mad yet how could he not be, he kills his wife and shows no shame! I think perhaps he was insane.

I also think that Pluto, the Black Cat, was a metaphor for Poe's drinking problem it

shows us how someone can change for the worse due to drinking.He was obsessed with the cat being the beast but he turned into a beast himself...

But at the same time this could be not about alcoholism but instead it shows the way in which the narrator avoids taking responsibility for anything he does, instead blaming it on the alcohol and the cat.

For lazy readers, can listen or download an audiobook here.