Umberto Boccioni, Dynamism of a cyclist

Beams of colors and graphic lines. The work of Umberto Boccioni looks like a spectrum hiding an unknown shape.

a spectrum hiding an unknown shape

A silhouette or an object, from a distance we don’t really know yet. The artist is part of an avant-garde movement called ‘Futurism’. Influenced by Neo-expressionism and Cubism; Futurism is interested in depicting speed, movement and machinery with an edge.

It’s a modern interpretation of a cyclist. Where the momentum is represented through lines, arches and quick strokes. The combination of graphic elements and the sudden change of vivid colors confer to the painting a ‘notion’ of how fast the cyclist is going. The head is located on the left side. The cyclist is probably arched, bent over his bike. There are few details of his features. The focus is on the effervescence around the action.

We are looking at what Umberto Boccioni remembered from a fast cyclist passing by. His swift speed didn’t allow him to capture any other details than the ones depicted. The intensity of his ride only left a

thick morphed cloud behind him

morphed thick cloud behind him. This spectre plays with our eyes. We really want to look at the individual, but we’re drawn into the geometric shapes twirling in a strict process.
The cyclist is starting to look like

an elaborate character from an animated Japanese manga series, Saint Seiya, Kings of the Zodiacs or one of the giant robots in The Transformers

an elaborate character from an animated Japanese manga series, Saint Seiya, Kings of the Zodiacs or one of the giant robots in The Transformers.

 Striking. The perceptions behind the paintings are creating a flow of ideas, bringing back past references and allowing our imagination to travel.
I’m amazed by the drawing, the brush strokes plus the feelings emerging from the overtones. The ‘Me, Umberto Boccioni and the  painting’ osmosis, an underworld of sensations has been brought to life.