Giacomo Balla, Stephan Brusche and Gego

Artist: Giacomo Balla

Title: Abstract Speed and Sound, 1913-14

This painting was originally designed to be part of a series portraying movement and sound. There are hints of landscape and sky within the painting; the blue representing sky and green representing the hilly mountains. This is to contrast the view of speed and sound as landscapes and sky are habitually quite and still. The idea of motion is illustrated within this painting through the progressive lines spreading across the surface of the painting. These lines are meant to represent sound because sounds are demonstrated with waves with the same patterns. The painting is also designed to have the viewer dart his or her eyes to multiple places on the painting, thereby creating the sense of movement and motion. This painting describes motion and movement in a very abstract way that is the very characteristic of the Futurist movement, as Futurists were obsessed with depicting speed and progress. 

The colour crimson is used swiftly to demonstrate speed, which is assisted, by the use of smearing on the surface located at the bottom of the painting. This shows the danger and fatal of speed.

Speed lines and crosses are repeated over and over again, which makes this painting a geometrical piece. This is what caught my eye and also the aggressive movements across the surface that I can relate to my exam project. As I have planned to study and produce animal’s movement, I am inspired by Balla’s use of geometrical shapes and lines to create such distinctive concept.

I have learnt that using bold lines consistently and almost parallel to one another creates a visual image of speed, which is crucial for my project of studying animal movements.

Giacomo Balla was born on July 18, 1871 and died on March 1, 1958. Balla was an art teacher and participated later in Futurism. In 1912 he joined the Futurist movement. His painting style underwent a dramatic change about 1909 when he became preoccupied with the illustrative interpretation of light, movement and speed.

Unlike most Futurists, Balla was a lyrical painter, unconcerned with modern machines or violence. Despite his unique taste in subject matter, in works such as this Balla conveys a sense of speed and urgency that puts his paintings in line with Futurism’s fascination with the energy of modern life. It was also no doubt tied to Balla’s interest in the technology of photography. 

In the Twenties, during the so-called second wave of Futurism, Balla was still a compelling force within the ranks of the new, young Futurists. Gradually giving more value to geometric forms, his style regularly alternated between abstract machine-like constructions and figurative representations.

Stephan Brusche

“It all started a few years back when I just started using Instagram. I noticed my banana and I figured it would make a nice post if I just drew a little happy face on it”

I have a connection with the artist Stepahn Brusche as he has created a wild animal on a banana to post them on instagram. As I am planning on creating platforms to present the wildestic animals I have chosen Instagram like Brusche.

Gego (Gertrude Goldschmidt), Sphere, 1976.