Futurism and 20th Century Essay Example

Futurism and 20th Century Essay Example Futurism and 20th Century Paper Futurism and 20th Century Paper An Itch You Can’t Scratch Futurism is a movement in the 20th century that valued technology’s beauty. In their works of art the Futurists tried to capture the experience of a modern world transformed by steam engines, electricity, automobiles, and airplanes. Futurist art was an appreciation of life and sought to obliterate the contemplative concept of art. Instead of standing separate from the experience of the modern world, Futurist artists threw themselves into the battle against a tame past and a liberating future. During the first decade of the 20th century, a group of young Italian painters came together under the influence of Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, an Italian poet and writer. They dabbled in every medium of art including painting, sculpture, theatre and much more. Marinetti launched this movement in his Futurist Manifesto, which was published February 5, 1909. After it was published, it quickly spread to France, Germany, Russia and the Americas. This movement was the first organized, radical art movement of this century. Their manifestos were meant to shock and provoke the audience. Marinetti’s ideas came from his loath for tame virtues and tastes. His ideas were radical. He believed that it was time to create a new form of art for the people, based on the beauty of speed and the power and force of machinery. It was clear that Marinetti was trying to make Futurism break away from the past and create something completely new and compelling. The Futurists loved speed, noise, machines, pollution, and cities; they embraced the exciting new world that was upon them rather than enjoying the modern world’s comforts while disapproving the forces that made them possible. : Futurism was a celebration of the machine age, glorifying war and favoring the growth of fascism. Futurist painting and sculpture were concerned with expressing movement and the dynamics of natural and man-made forms. Futurism in theatre, however, was very short lived. The futurist plays sought to transform the audience from just mere spectators to being active participants in the show. Marinetti presented a whole list of suggestions on how to cause laughter, commotion and fighting. The plays would incorporate the audience with antics such as spreading the seats with glue, or sprinkling itching powder on the seats. They also provoked the audience by overselling the tickets so there were not enough seats for the people who had purchased the tickets. This would lead to the fighting. These antics were meant to annoy and enrage the audience, forcing them to feel emotion when they were at the play and to physically participate. These emotions were obviously not positive emotions, which is why this form of theatre was not very popular and it did not last very long. Because after they aroused their audience, they failed to guide them to their ideals. Futurist theatre ended in the late 20th century. I chose this topic for my paper because it was one of the movements of theatre that really stuck out to me. I loved the idea of including the audience and transforming them from mere voyeurs but this was obviously not the way to do that. I could not believe some of the things they did to their audience. I could not believe they actually spread itching powder and glue on the seats. There are many more appropriate ways to involve an audience. This was just disrespectful to the audience. I can understand why this form of theatre was so short-lived. These antics would drive away the audience and make them too distracted to even enjoy the show. The show would then go unnoticed. I do not understand how they thought this was a good idea. The seating area is supposed to be relaxing and comfortable. The audience should feel welcomed while viewing a show, not angered and provoked by tactics involved with the seating area. They should have focused on more positive ways to engage the audience without provoking them.

The Holy Land

The Holy Land The region generally encompassing territory from the River Jordan in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, and from the Euphrates River in the north to the Gulf of Aqaba in the south, was considered the Holy Land by medieval Europeans. The city of Jerusalem was of especially sacred significance  and continues to be so, to Jews, Christians and Muslims. A Region of Sacred Significance For millennia, this territory had been considered the Jewish homeland, originally encompassing the joint kingdoms of Juda and Israel that had been founded by King David. In c. 1000 B.C.E., David conquered Jerusalem and made it the capital; he brought the Ark of the Covenant there, making it a religious center, as well. Davids son King Solomon had a fabulous temple built in the city, and for centuries Jerusalem flourished as a spiritual and cultural center. Through the long and tumultous history of the Jews, they never stopped considering Jerusalem to be the single most important and holiest of cities. The region has spiritual meaning for Christians because it was here that Jesus Christ lived, traveled, preached and died. Jerusalem is especially sacred because it was in this city that Jesus died on the cross and, Christians believe, rose from the dead. The sites that he visited, and especially the site believed to be his tomb, made Jerusalem the most important objective for medieval Christian pilgrimage. Muslims see religious value in the area because it is where monotheism originated, and they recognize Islams monotheistic heritage from Judaism. Jerusalem was originally the place toward which Muslims turned in prayer, until it was changed to Mecca in the 620s C.E. Even then, Jerusalem retained significance to Muslims because it was the site of Muhammads night journey and ascension. The History of Palestine This region was also sometimes known as Palestine, but the term is a difficult one to apply with any precision. The term Palestine derives from Philistia, which was what the Greeks called the land of the Philistines. In the 2nd century C.E. the Romans used the term Syria Palaestina to indicate the southern part of Syria, and from there the term made its way into Arabic. Palestine has post-medieval significance; but in the Middle Ages, it was rarely used by Europeans in connection with the land they considered sacred. The profound importance of the Holy Land to European Christians would lead Pope Urban II to make the call for the First Crusade, and thousands of devout Christians answered that call.