Unique Forms of Continuity in Space

Infobox Sculpture


title = Unique Forms of Continuity in Space
artist = Umberto Boccioni
year = 1913
type = Bronze
height = 111.44
inch = 43.875
city = New York City
museum = Museum of Modern Art (1931 cast)

thumb|left|Italian 20-cent euro coin."Unique Forms of Continuity in Space" ( _it. Forme uniche della continuità nello spazio) is a bronze Futurist sculpture by Umberto Boccioni. It is seen as an expression of movement and fluidity. Boccioni rejected traditional sculpture and depictions to create this piece and it is seen as a masterpiece of Futurism.cite journal |last=Petrie |first=Brian |year=1973 |month=March |title=Futurism at the Royal Academy |journal=The Burlington Magazine |volume=115 |issue=840 |pages=196–198 |accessdate= 2008-01-11] The sculpture is depicted on the obverse of the Italian-issue 20 cent euro coin.

History

The Futurist movement was striving to portray speed and forceful dynamism in their art. Boccioni, though trained as a painter, began sculpting in 1912. He exclaimed that "these days I am obsessed by sculpture! I believe I have glimpsed a complete renovation of that mummified art."cite web |url=http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/11/eust/ho_1990.38.3.htm |title=Umberto Boccioni: Unique Forms of Continuity in Space |accessdate=2008-01-11 |work=The Metropolitan Museum of Art] The next year, Boccioni completed the sculpture. His goal for the work was to depict a "synthetic continuity" of motion instead of an "analytical discontinuity" that he saw artists like František Kupka and Marcel Duchamp portraying.cite journal |last=Henderson |first=Linda |year=1981 |title=Italian Futurism and "The Fourth Dimension" |journal=Art Journal |volume=41 |issue=4 |pages=317–323 |accessdate= 2008-01-11 |doi=10.2307/776440]

Composition

Quote box |quote=It seems clear to me that this "succession" is not to be found in repetition of legs, arms and faces, as many people have stupidly believed, but is achieved through the intuitive search for the "unique form which gives continuity in space". |source=Umberto Boccioni |width=25% |align=left"Unique Forms of Continuity in Space" depicts a human-like figure seemingly flying or gliding through air. A clinging drapery whips back around his legs, giving the sculpture an aerodynamic and fluid form. Instead of a traditional pedestal, the figure is only bound to the ground by two blocks at his feet. The figure is also armless and without a discernibly real face.

Though Boccioni apparently reviled traditional sculpture, "Unique Forms of Continuity in Space" does resemble more realist works.cite web |url=http://moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?object_id=81179 |title=Umberto Boccioni. Unique Forms of Continuity in Space. 1913 |accessdate=2008-01-11 |work=The Museum of Modern Art] The flowing, windswept drapery looks back to the classical "Winged Victory of Samothrace", which Filippo Marinetti, founder of Futurism, declared was inferior in beauty to a roaring car.Citation |last=Richard |first=Paul |title=FUTURISM; A smashing Show of the Artist-Prophets Who Put Modern Art in Motion |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=November 9 1980 |date=2008-01-11] The lack of arms also pays homage to Auguste Rodin's "Walking man".Citation |last=Glueck |first=Grace |title= ART REVIEW; Blurring the Line Between the Present and the Future |newspaper=New York Times |date=February 13 2004 |date=2008-01-11 |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D00EFDB103AF930A25751C0A9629C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all]

Original plaster and casts

Boccioni's work was in plaster, and was never cast into bronze in his lifetime; this is on display at the Museu de Arte Contemporânea. Two casts were made in 1931 (one is on display at the Museum of Modern Art), two were made in 1949 (one is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art), and in 1972 (one is on display at the Tate Moderncite web |url=http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ViewWork?workid=1208 |title=Umberto Boccioni: Unique Forms of Continuity in Space |accessdate=2008-03-15 |work=The Tate Modern] ), and another eight in 1972 made not from the plaster, but a 1949 cast.

References