Marinetti and Italian Futurist Typography

Author(s): David Cundy

Source: Art Journal, Vol. 41, No. 4, Futurism (Winter, 1981), pp. 349-352
Published by: College Art Association
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Marinetti and Italian Futurist
Typography

David Cundy

Whenthe originsof twentieth-century typog- raphy.In it, Mallarmeused type to create color in the sense of tonality,intensityand
raphyaresought,FilippoTommaso Marinetti, figurative andemotivepatterns complementary weight.ThusMarinetti's commentrevealsa
the founderof theFuturist movement in Italy, to the contentof his poetry.Apollinaire, influ- keen perceptionof theirvaluesif not their
emergesas one of the primaryforcesin the encedbybothMallarme andMarinetti, created actualpractice.
development of a moder aesthetic.His Tech- what he calledIdeograms (in 1914) and Cal- Marinetti proposedalsotheabandonment of
nical Manifestoof FuturistLiteratureof 11 ligrams (in 1918), figurative poemsin which traditional syntax,theelimination of adjectives
May1912 outlineda literaryformulawhich typesetwordsimitated theshapes,forexample, andadverbs,theemployment of mathematical
precipitateda revolution in graphicpresenta- of rainfallor a heart.Thismerelyamounted to and musicalsymbolsto supplantstandard
tionandvisualperception.l a refinement of Mallarme's earlierexperiments. punctuation, andthefreeruseofonomatopoeia
Marinettiinitiatedhis radicalaestheticin- Theutilization of typography asa visualelement ("whichservestovivifylyricalcontentwiththe
novationsin an atmosphere of technological in its ownrightwasfirstrealizedbyMarinetti, crudeandbrutalelementsof reality").7 And
revolution.Untilthe end of the nineteenth whoseparole in liberta,or "wordsin free- he advocateda free, expressiveorthography
century,thephysicalgeneration of typography, dom,"reflecteda reactionto bothformand -freely remodelling wordsto evokeappro-
effectedbyletterpress,hadremained relatively contentin Symbolist poetry. priatesensations.
staticfor450 years.However, thelastdecades Oneof Marinetti's basicreductionistic Fu- In his "Wireless Imagination andWordsin
of thecenturysawa shiftfromtypesetting done turisttenets-the deemotionalization ofhuman Freedom," he mentioned also"thetypograph-
byhandto typesetting donebymachine.Inthe experienceandits relegationto a continuum icallypictorial ofthepage,"8
possibilities which
UnitedStates,Mergenthaler inventedtheLino- of sensations-underlaythe techniqueshe succinctlydescribesthe effectof parole in
typemachine(1884-86), whichset lines of proposedto usein achieving a Futuristliterary libertaas realizedin print.Itwasthisaspectof
type, and in GreatBritain,TolbertLanston expression.Marinettidescribedthese tech- Futuristliteraturewhichmostprofoundly in-
inventedthe Monotypecaster (1889), which niquesin severalissuesof Lacerba.4 Priorto fluencedsubsequentvisual/verbal communi-
set characterssingly.TheMonotypecaster was these,he declaredin theTechnicalManifesto cations.In usingthe phrase"typographically
the quintessenceof the principlesthat the that "nounswouldbe scatteredat random, pictorialpossibilities," Marinetti didnotmean
Futuristsworshiped-technology, speed,effi- infinitiveswith theirgreaterelasticitywould literalpictorialrepresentation, but rathera
ciency,andnoise-and, as such,wasusedas replacethepedanticoldindicative."5 In"After dynamic, typographic composition of themate-
a metaphorin Futuristwritings.In Balla's FreeVerse-Wordsin Freedom,"he further rial.Although he counseledagainstrepresen-
performanceMacchinatipografia (1914), describedhis typographic revolution:"The tationalanddecorative effects("Onemust...
for example,the actionof the printingpress typographic revolution wasinitiatedbymeand avoidanypictorialpreoccupation, takingno
was pantomimed by actorsmovingsynchro- directedespeciallyagainsttheso-calledtypo- satisfactionin a playof lines or in curious
nously;thesetconsistedoflargelettersspelling graphicharmony of thepage.... Weusein an typographicdisproportions"),9the tavole
"tipografia."2Papini,in his "Dichiarazione al averagepagethreeor fourdifferentcolorsof parolibere,or "freewordtableaux," originally
tipografo"of 1 May1914, a paeanto the inkandalsotwentydiversefonts:forexample, found in L'Italiafuturista, used type and
technicianof theprintedword,declaimed,"I italicfor a seriesof similarandrapidsensa- picturesin a figurativestyle reminiscentof
love the Monotype... with its complicated tions,boldfaceforviolentonomatopoeia, etc. Mallarme.Sucheffectsareverymuchin evi-
precisionof a mechanical beast."3Butdespite Withthis typographic revolution anda multi- dencein Marinetti's ownwork,including "Saint
its profoundeffecton theavailability andcost coloredvarietyof fonts,I amableto augment UniqueTortured bySaintsVelocity andSimul-
of printedmatteratthebeginning of thetwen- the expressiveforceof words."6It is perhaps taneity,"10 "ConBOCCIONI a dossocasina,"
tiethcentury,it was,ironically, superfluous to typicalof Marinetti's braggadocio thatthere andthemilitary ballooninZangTumbTumb.
Marinetti'sparticularpurposes. are no examplesof Futurist poetryprintedin A proofreader's copyof La Conquetedes
Theformalrootsof Marinetti's typographic three or four colors or with twentyfonts. etoiles, in whichMarinetti specifiedsize and
doctrinesaretraceableto Stephane Mallarme, Nevertheless, "multicolored varietyof fonts" typefacealterations, providesevidenceof his
whose Un Coup de des of 1897 has been admirably denotesa qualitytypographers as- understanding ofprintingprocedures.12 Soffici,
characterisedas thebeginning of moder typog- cribeto differenttypestyles: theyusetheword in his memoirs,describedhis closeworking
Winter1981 349

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 LA BALZA

'
VER G I.N IT A
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PfamkO li"ret'_
.:r

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I 6 ),RA\(/-_
I- i rr
I/ SI
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6.

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.WU $rtt~iS
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r lan fJ:|:
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Fig. 2 Cangiullo's a sorpresa"

'Alfabeto (1916)
Fig. IJannelli'shand-written
'Verginitia" usesletterforms
tocreate images.
representational
relationshipwithVallecchi,Lacerba'sprint- (1915)functionsas bothpoemandpicture.
er,13andPapini'sconciliatory "Dichiarazione
al tipografo" inLacerbareinforces thisimplied
rapport.
Itis noteworthythatMarinetti's innovations
did not makeuse of the advancesof modern
printing Themostsuccessfulparole
technology.
in liberta employedobsolescentwood and
foundrytypesin arrangements realizable only
by multiplehandsetpressings;theyrequired
the use of outdatedequipment-unusualfur-
nitureand mouldsto hold the typein place.
The composingtime for such experiments
musthavebeenphenomenal, asdifferent sorts
in differentsizeswereintermingled to evoke
theeffectsdesired.Thereadermayexperience
the concise,meteoricefficiencyof Marinetti's
settings,buthis printerneverdid.
Thefirstexampleofparole in libertawas
publishedas a supplement to the Technical
ManifestoofFuturistLiteraturein 1912and
was entitled"Battleof Weight+ Smell."In
thispoemMarinetti usedmathematical notation
to evoketheatmosphere of a battlefield.
Zang
TumbTumb,alsowrittenin 1912,wascited
by Marinettifor his use of onomatopoeia to Nl-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
complement thecontent. During1913-14, fol-
lowingMarinetti's "AfterFreeVerse-Words
in Freedom," Lacerbaregularly printedparole Fig. 3 In Cangiullo's "Canzonetta" elements
(1917),typographic havedoubleconnotations.
in liberta, includingexamplesby Boccioni, brackets arepictorial andpun thesubjectofthesong.
Cangiullo, Carr,Jannelli,Marinetti, Soffici,and
others.'4Thisactivitywas suspendedon 15 thelettersarranged to createrepresentational and Mechanical Splendorandthe Numerical
August1914withItaly'sentryintoWorld WarI. images.Thisis alsotrueof Cangiullo'sillustra- Sensibility"(1914): "Thewordsin freedom,
Shortly LaBalza,basedin Ragusa, tionsin-"Alfabeto
thereafter, a sorpresa"of 1916 (Fig. in this continuouseffortto expresswiththe
continuedto developtheprototype createdin 2), citedas lateas 1939-in theMarch-May greatestforceandprofundity, naturallytrans-
Lacerba.Jannelli's "Verginita" of 12May1915 issue of Campografico-as "a significant form themselvesinto self-illustrations,by
(Fig. 1) is a stunningandwhimsicalexample exampleof Cangiullo's desireto evokeanother means of free, expressiveorthography and
of calligraphic(cacographic) wordsin free- sensibility froma graphic form."16Theseworks typography, the synoptictablesof lyricvalues
dom. It reads:"Thesea / rosy opening+ thedecorative
transcend levelachieved in most and designedanalogies."17 Theseworksin-
azure/ to buy/ on thesand/ twoeggs/ one parole in libertato embodygreatermeaning. troduceda revolutionary elementintoliterature
littlechocolate/ one boxof matches/to make Marinetti referredto them,andto themilitary -mood producedby meansof the medium,
a trip throughthe piazza/ violets/ on your balloonthat he himselfhad typographically thetypeitself.
dirtyface."15 Jannelli'sworkis pictorial,with designedforZangTumbTumb,in "Geometric Weencounterfurtherexamplesof thisphe-

350 ArtJournal

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 innovative.It wastheDada,Constructivist,De
Stijl,andBauhausartistswho carriedon the
graphicrevolution. Allwereindebtedto Mari-
nettiforhis shockinginsistenceon theculture
of masstechnologyandfor the graphiccon-
ceptshe developedto emphasize thetenetsof
his philosophy: re-evaluationof punctuation,
asymmetry,dynamiccompositionof visual
elements,and the typographically pictorial
possibilitiesof the page.It was throughhis
willingnessto challengegraphicconventions
inparolein libertaandtavoleparolibere that
moderngraphicconceptsfirsttookshape.

David Cundyis a graphicdesignerand

a candidatefora M.F.A.degreeat Yale
UniversitySchoolofArt.Hehas worked
directlywithexamplesof typography in
theMarinettiArchiveat BeineckeLibrary,
YaleUniversity.

Notes
1 Precisedateandplaceofpublication unknown.
Fig. 4 Venna's
Lucio the
of City"
"Synthesis (1917)is composedsolelyfromtypographic elements- See Marianne Martin,FuturistArt and Theory
thepoetryis visualratherthanliteral. (Oxford: ClarendonPress,1965),p. 128.
2 SeeMichael Kirby,FuturistPerformance (New
nomenonin 1917inL'Italiafuturista. Atavola were,no one outshoneMarinetti inparolein York: E.P.Dutton,
1971),pp.61-63, 74,93,95.
paroliberacalled"Canzonetta" depictsa sing- liberta.His"Tumultuous PoliticalAssembly" 3 Giovanni Papini,"Dichiarazione altipografo,"
er and his companionstandingon a wharf (Fig. 5) andthewell-known "Letter fromthe Lacerba(Florence), vol.ii (1914),p. 135.I
(Fig. 3).'8 Thewords of the musician'ssong, Front"20 remainthe richestexamplesof the owea debtof gratitude to Elizabeth W.Easton
"Bionda"("Blond" or "Blondie") swirlabove genre."Tumultuous PoliticalAssembly," formed for her in
assistance translations fromthe
his head.Intheforeground eachwave(onda) entirelyof graphicelements-witha skeleton Italianthroughout thisarticle.I alsowishto
is represented bya printer'sbracket;theboat textof letters,numbers,anddates-has been thanktheBeinecke RareBookandManuscript
in thewateris a large,blockB,which,coupled describedas a "magnificent exampleof the Library of YaleUniversity foraccessto early
withthe article'I'and'onda'repeatthesong representative of
power graphicsymbols."21 Futuristpublicationsdiscussed here.
title. ThusBiondais wittilypunnedwiththe "LetterfromtheFront"employedmanyof the 4 Seebelownotes6 through 9.
bracket/waves(her curvesperhaps).Lucio elementsmentioned byMarinetti in his"Wire- 5 Caroline Tisdall
andAngelo Bozzolla, Futurism
Venna's"Synthesis of theCity"(Fig. 4), pub- less Imagination andWordsin Freedom"to (NewYork:OxfordUniversity Press,1978),
lisheda fewmonthslaterin thesameperiodi- evokethechaosof war:machineguns,explo- p.94.
cal, elegantlyevokesthe Florentine cityscape sions,and camping in theopen. 6 F.T.Marinetti,"Dopo il versolibero-leparole
(includingthe archesof the PonteVecchio) Afterthewar,Futurism becametheprovince in liberta,"
Lacerba,vol.I (1913),p. 253.
throughtypographic devices.19 of anothergeneration.As a result,parole in 7 F.T.Marinetti, "Onomatopee astratte e sensi-
Asimpressive asthecreations of hisdisciples libertaandtavoleparoliberewereno longer bilitAnumerica," vol.
Lacerba, (1914),p.99.
ii

Winter1981 351

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 .".q '':-E.
Fig. 5 Marinetti's
definitive"Tumultuous
PoliticalAssembly"
(1919).Thecomplexity
and textureofthisworkevokecomparisons
withcollage.
8 F.T.Marinetti, "L'immaginazione senzafilie le 12 May1915;Marinetti Archive, BeineckeLi-
parole inlibertA,"
Lacerba,vol.I(1913),p. 123. brary,YaleUniversity.
9 F.T.Marinetti, "Losplendore geometrico e 16F.T. Marinetti, "Rivoluzione futuristadelle
meccanico nelleparolein liberta,"Lacerba, parole in libertae tavole di poesia
sinottiche
vol.i (1913),p. 83. pubblicitaria,"Campografico (Milan),
10F.T.Marinetti, "Santa UnicatorturatadaSanta March-May1939.
Velocita e daSantaSimultaneita,"Noi(Rome), 17F.T. Marinetti, "Losplendore geometrico e
23April1924,pp.14- 15. meccanico nelleparolein liberta,"Lacerba,
11 F.T.Marinetti, "Con BOCCIONI a dossocasina," vol.ii (1914),p. 83;herequotedfromUmbro
Futurismo(Rome, 1932).MarinettiArchive, Apollonio, ed.,FuturistManifestos (NewYork:
Beinecke RareBookandManuscript Library, VikingPress,1973),p. 157.
YaleUniversity. 18Francesco Cangiullo, "Canzonetta," L'Italia
12F.T.Marinetti, La Conquete des etoiles,un- futurista(Florence), 18March 1917;Marinetti
boundproofsheet,Marinetti Archive,Beinecke Archive,BeineckeLibrary, YaleUniversity.
Library, YaleUniversity. Cangiullo alsousedmusical notationtoachieve
13Ardegno Autoritratto
Soffici, d'artistaItaliano modulations in intensityandtempo,as sug-
nelquadrodelsuotempo(Florence: Vallecchi gestedbyMarinetti, in "Canzonetta pirotech-
Editore, 1968),vol.7,pp.785- 86.SeeRonny nica,"La Balza, April1915;andin "Allee
Cohen,"ItalianFuturistTypography," The JuliusCaesar," Noi, 1924.
PrintCollector's vol.viii(1978),
Newsletter, 19LucioVenna,"Sintesi dicitta,"L'Italiafutur-
p. 167. ista,18June1917;Marinetti Archive,Beinecke
14Boccioni,"Scarpetta da societa+ Orina," Library, YaleUniversity.
Lacerba, 15 November1913;Cangiullo, 20F.T.Marinetti, "Assembleapoliticatumultuosa"
"Fumatori," 1January 1914;Carra, "1900- and"Ogniseracoricata nelsuolettorileggeva
1913,"1 February 1914;Jannelli,"Manovra la letteradel suo artigliere al fronte,"both
di nottemodera,"15April1914;Marinetti, fromLesmotsen libertefuturiste(Milan),
"Dune,"15February 1914;Soffici,"Albuffet 1919;both reproduced in Campografico,
dellastazione," 1August 1914. March-May 1939.
15Guglielmo Jannelli,"Verginita," La Balza, 21 Campografico,March-May1939.

352 ArtJournal

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