These manifestos were extremely hard for me to understand, so I’m not entirely sure if I’ve fully understood what the messages were. I believe Marinetti’s point is that there is always a competition in the process of new inventions. People will never be satisfied with the originals of inventions because, over time, people seek to see the object’s spoilage. Most of this manifesto seems to be very hostile in its speech. There’s a large emphasis on violence and uproar in order to get a hold of the future they want. Marinetti claims “poetry must be a violent assault on the forces of the unknown, to force them to bow before man.” This sense male superiority is followed up shortly after with saying they want to feel contempt towards women. This manifesto glorifies war and rebellion, arguing a fight against morals is better than cowardly supporting feminism or utilitarianism. Marinetti seems to want the industrial age to move forward even faster, praising machinery and wanting to take advantage of it.
In contrast to Marinetti, Rodchenko seems to want to cater to the wishes of society and the people as a whole. In Rodchenko’s manifesto, it seems as though he wants art to serve a purpose and be useful to society, such as talented people like constructors, engineers, lab workers. Another occupation that would probably fit Rodchenko’s views is an architect; someone able to use their artistic creativity to create buildings, homes, and other structures that will still serve a fundamental purpose. I think it’s understandable to believe inventions and art should also consider the sense of social responsibility and contribution, but not every piece needs to.
From what I could try and understand, El Lissitzky focused on communication. Lissitzky anticipated the growth and adaptation of communication. New forms of media would take over the use of books. He knew that there was “no new shape for the book as a body,” and he anticipated that this would change and continue to do so. Society is also brought up in this, speaking about the use of posters and paperbacks was easy for everyday people to get a hold of as well.
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