Cubo-Futurism
The proliferation of Cubist paintings brought forth a whole slew of art revolution from different countries. One such art revolution was Cubo-Futurism. Cubo-Futurism started in around 1910 and proceeded to become a form of art that characterized Russian art during the early 20th century.
Inspired by Georges Braque and the great Pablo Picasso, Cubo-Futurism combines the blocky shapes of Cubism, with the Italian Futurists' depiction of movement. Cubo-Futurism paintings are very dynamic - the fragmented parts forming a cohesive, but frenetic whole. Perhaps this was brought about by the frantic and chaotic situation in Russia at that time. Whatever the case, it translated well into art - providing the Russians an era of non-stop creativity.
In a sense, the advent of Cubo-Futurism heralded the beginning of Russia's independence in terms of creativity. Even when Europeans would rule over creative and artistic styles, Russian artists created their own styles and incorporated their characters and their stories into the paintings. What resulted was an unusual mix of different disciplines and different styles. Their freedom from traditional artistic styles allowed them to express themselves in a different yet still exquisite way.
Cubo-Futurism artwork often has bold colors, sharp edges, strong lines, and certain dynamism. There is energy depicted in these paintings, as well as speed, motion and activity. Cubo-Futurism wakes up your senses, gets your blood running, and asks you to confront these images.
The term itself - Cubo-Futurism - was initially used by LyuboyPopova who created art that mixed Cubism and Futurism. Eventually, art historians identified Russian art during the early 20th century as Cubo-Futurism. Popoya's work included the lauded Seated Figure. It depicts the combination of Cubism and Futurism perfectly and it captures what Cubo-Futurism is in a nutshell.
Knife Grinder by Malevich is another popular example of Cubo-Futurism art. One look at this bright, fragmented painting, and you know that it belongs to this particular art discipline. Malevich was recognized as one of the more important artists during this particular era in Russia. He was, in fact, considered as one of the leaders of the Cubo-Futurist art movement. If you are looking for more work by Malevich, you can check out Morning in the Village after Snowstorm, and An Englishman in Moscow. If you are fortunate enough to view a collection of his work, you will discover that it contains political and social themes that most likely resulted from his child life. Malevich was truly one of the most important artists in Russian Art.
